FREDERIC      ORMON 


. 


THE  THREE  KEYS 


«I  AM  SO  GLAD  THAT  YOU  CAN   DO  SOMETHING 
TO  HELP  HIM- 


THE  THREE  KEYS 


BY 

FREDERIC    ORMOND 


ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

HARRISON  FISHER 

AND 

GEORGE  T.  KNIGHT 


NEW    YORK 

GROSSET.    &     DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1909  BY 
W.  J.  WATT  &  COMPANY 

Publnhtd  June,  IQOQ 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I  The  End  of  All  Things  .     .  11 

II  The  Genesis  of  a  Criminal  19 

III  A  Millionaire's   Manoeuvre  27 

IV  The  Reward  of  Villainy      .  40 
V  A  Meeting  of  Maidens     .     .  53 

VI  Jack  Millington's  Return  .     66 

VII  A  Millionaire's  Promise  .  .     77 

VIII  Clarita  Ortega  at  Home  .     91 

IX  The  Hand  that  Stabs       .  .  100 

X  The  Broken  Engagement  .  112 

XI  In  the  Mesh  of  Misdeeds  .  123 

XII  The  Sinister  Souvenir      .  .  133 

XIII  What  Carla  Dared      ...  148 

XIV  The  Accusation      .     .     .  .158 
XV  Driven  Back  to  Eden      ,  .  172 

XVI  The  Letter 184 

XVII  Face   to  Face  with   Conse- 
quences       195 


2137522 


CONTENTS — Continued 

Chapter  Page 

XVIII  The  Man  Behind  the  Door  202 

XIX  The  Whim  of  Cupid  ...  209 

XX  Jack  Millington's  Busy  Day  219 

XXI  Sam   Millington's  Little 

Scheme 229 

XXII  Lathrop's  Confession      .     .  242 

XXIII  A  Matter  of  Scheming     .     .  255 

XXIV  The  Second  Ruse  ....  264 
XXV  Cupid  in  Haste       ....  274 

XXVI  Though  Your    Sins   be  as 

Scarlet 284 

XXVII  The  Special  Pleader   ...  293 


THE  THREE  KEYS 


•THE  THREE  KEYS 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  END  OF  ALL,  THINGS 

MORRIS  LATHROP  gave  a  final 
glance  toward  his  reflection  in  the 
mirror,  and  assured  himself  that  his  toi- 
lette for  the  evening  was  immaculate. 
Then,  he  took  from  his  pocket  a  solitary 
dollar  'bill,  at  which  he  stared  for  a  long 
time  in  rueful  contemplation. 

"The  sole  remnant  of  my  fortune,"  he 
muttered,  finally;  "my  last  dollar — abso- 
lutely, the  last!"  But  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders  contemptuously  as  he  thrust  the 
bill  back  into  a  pocket.  "At  least,  it  will 
serve  to  pay  my  cab-fare  to  the  Trevors'," 
was  his  reflection.  "And  I'll  make  my 
last  night  on  earth  a  merry  one.  None 
9 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

shall  see  the  shadow  of  death  on  my  brow. 
.  .  .  And  yet — I  wonder  where  I  shall 
be  to-morrow,  when  they  find  this  body, 
after  the  flight  of  that  which  is  called  the 
soul!" 

But,  since  he  had  definitely  resolved  to 
make  an  end  of  himself,  such  speculation 
troubled  Morris  Lathrop  very  little.  It 
seemed  to  him  that,  inasmuch  as  he  had 
dissipated  a  fortune,  he  might  throw  away 
life  itself  as  well.  So  far  as  he  could  de- 
termine, he  possessed  no  art  for  the  accu- 
mulation of  money,  even  had  he  the  incli- 
nation, which  he  had  not.  For  that  mat- 
ter, now  at  the  last,  he  found  himself 
rather  weary  of  the  frivolous  round  which 
had  made  up  his  lif  e.  He  had  but  one  sin- 
cere sorrow  before  the  prospect  of  death, 
and  that  lay  in  the  giving  up  of  Carla  Tre- 
vor, to  whom  he  was  betrothed — for  the 
final  interview  with  whom  he  was  now  set- 
ting forth. 

It  was  only  a  few  blocks  from  the  apart- 
10 


THE  END  OF  ALL  THINGS 

ment-house  in  which  Lathrop  had  his  suite 
to  the  mansion  of  George  Trevor,  the 
financier,  where  the  debut  of  Edna  Trevor, 
the'younger  daughter,  was  to  be  celebrated 
that  night.  It  was  such  a  little  way,  in- 
deed, that  the  cab-driver  thanked  his  fare 
when  the  young  man  gave  him  the  fag 
end  of  a  fortune  in  the  guise  of  a  dollar 
bill. 

"And  I  suppose  the  fellow  envies  me!" 
Lathrop  mused  cynically,  as  he  mounted 
the  steps. 

"The  ladies  are  not  down  yet,  sir,"  the 
butler  explained,  as  the  visitor  entered  the 
vestibule;  "but  Mr.  Trevor  is  in  the  li- 
brary. Will  you  go  there,  sir?" 

Lathrop  nodded,  and  forthwith  made 
his  way  to  the  library,  which  he  entered 
unannounced.  The  only  occupant  of  the 
room  was  a  handsome  man  of  some  three- 
score years,  whose  clear  eyes  and  com- 
plexion proclaimed  both  a  good  constitu- 
tion and  a  clean  manner  of  life.  The  iron- 
11 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

(gray  hair  still  clustered  thickly;  his  spare 
frame  was  held  vigorously  erect.  The 
whole  aspect  of  the  man  suggested  the 
consciousness  of  power.  Yet,  at  this  mo- 
ment, the  strong,  stern  face  was  relaxed 
into  an  expression  that  betrayed  acute  anx- 
iety. Then,  as  he  looked  up  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  door,  and  saw  Lathrop,  a  sud- 
den relief  shone  in  his  eyes. 

"Ah,  Morris,  it  was  good  of  you  to  come 
early,"  he  exclaimed.  "We  have  a  f*jll 
hour  for  a  smoke  and  a  chat.  Help  your- 
self to  a  cigar  and  a  glass  of  wine,  my  boy 
.  .  .  I  must  talk  to  you  seriously.  I 
am  going  to  ask  a  favor  of  you,  Morris." 

"A  favor!"  the  young  man  repeated,  in 
evident  surprise.  "But,  sir,  between  us 
two,  it  is  you  who  have  the  power  of  grant- 
ing favors,  not  I." 

The  financier  smiled,  wryly. 

"It  happens  that — just  now,  at  least — 
you  are  wrong,  Morris,"  he  said  sadly. 
*'I  know  that,  since  the  death  of  your 
12 


THE  END  OF  ALL  THINGS 

father,  you  have  looked  on  me  as  taking 
his  place  toward  you  in  some  measure.  I 
for  my  part,  have  looked  on  you  as  a  son, 
especially  since  your  engagement  to  my 
daughter.  So,  I  am  sure  that  you  will 
respect  what  I  am  about  to  say." 

"Is  it  to  be  a  lecture,  sir?"  Lathrop  in- 
quired apprehensively. 

"On  the  contrary!"  the  financier  de- 
clared with  emphasis.  "But  I  shall  come 
to  the  point  at  once  .  .  .  Morris,  I  am 
on  the  verge  of  failure.  I  may  contrive  to 
hold  out  for  three  days  longer — I  believe 
that  I  can.  But,  unless  I  have  assistance 
at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  I  must  go 
to  the  wall." 

"Great  heavens!"  the  young  man  ex- 
claimed, in  dismay.  "Why,  pater,  I 
thought  that  you  were  worth — " 

—somewhere     between     fifteen     and 

twenty  millions.     Sol  am ;  but  at  this  time 

every  dollar  of  it  is  tied  up — pledged. 

There  is  only  one  way  by  which  I  can 

13 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

avoid  the  crash,  and  that  way  lies  through 
you,  my  boy.  .  .  .  You  inherited 
from  your  father  something  more  than  a 
million  dollars,  did  you  not?" 

"Yes,  nearly  two,"  Lathrop  answered. 
Dread  fell  on  him  as  he  apprehended  the 
significance  of  Trevor's  question. 

"A  few  hundred  thousands — say,  four 
or  five — will  save  me,"  the  financier  went 
on.  "I  want  you  to  come  to  my  office  in 
the  morning,  and  inspect  all  there  is  to 
inspect,  satisfy  yourself  of  what  you  are 
doing,  and  then,  in  return  for  a  partner- 
ship in  the  business,  let  me  have  the  money. 
Will  you  do  it,  Morris?" 

For  a  full  minute,  Lathrop  sat  perfectly 
still,  staring  dumbly  at  his  companion. 
He  was  face  to  face  with  a  difficulty  which 
he  saw  no  means  of  surmounting.  He 
had  inherited  two  millions;  in  five  years, 
he  had  succeeded  in  squandering  them  to 
the  last  dollar.  But  he  had  kept  the  secret 
of  his  spendthrift  habits  so  carefully  that 
14 


THE  END  OF  ALL  THINGS 

not  one  of  his  associates  suspected  the  con- 
dition of  his  finances.  His  debts  were 
paid  to  the  smallest  item ;  it  was  because  he 
would  not  incur  debts  which  he  could  not 
pay  that  he  had  decided  to  sink  quietly  out 
of  existence.  He  believed  that  he  had  in- 
jured nobody  but  himself,  and  that,  there- 
fore, he  had  the  right  to  dispose  of  his 
life  even  as  he  had  disposed  of  his  fortune. 
He  had  regretted  only  one  thing,  the  giv- 
ing up  of  Carla  Trevor.  But  he  believed, 
with  the  cynicism  of  a  man  of  the  world, 
that  she  would  soon  recover  from  the  shock 
of  his  sudden  taking  off.  Now,  however, 
he  was  suddenly  confronted  by  a  difficulty 
of  which  the  possibility  had  never  occurred 
to  him,  a  difficulty  that  threatened  his  com- 
placency in  the  face  of  a  cowardly  pur- 
pose. For  a  moment,  he  found  himself 
incapable  of  making  any  answer  to  the 
financier's  question,  the  while  he  remained 
staring  bewilderedly  into  the  elder  man's 
face.  Presently,  he  saw  a  frown  gather- 
15 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ing  upon  the  broker's  brow,  and  heard  him 
say,  with  some  coldness: 

"If  I  had  thought,  Morris,  that  you 
could  hesitate,  I  should  not  have  made  the 
request." 

Morris  pulled  himself  together  then, 
and  smiled  with  a  semblance  of  sincerity. 

"Did  I  seem  to  hesitate,  pater?"  he  said. 
"I  was  only  wondering  as  to  how  it  could 
be  accomplished  in  three  days." 

"You  will  do  it,  then?  You  will  let  me 
have  the  money?"  exclaimed  the  elder  man, 
his  face  lighting  up  with  a  joy  that  he  did 
not  care  to  conceal. 

"I  mean,"  was  the  earnest  answer,  "that 
there  has  never  been  a  time  since  I  can  re- 
member when  you  could  not  have  had 
every  dollar  that  I  possessed.  I  wish  that 
I  had  placed  it  all  in  your  hands  long  ago. 
Then,  you  would  not  have  been  compelled 
to  ask  for  it  now." 

"Tut,  tut,  Morris!     If  that  had  been 
the  case,  you  might  have  been  in  this  un- 
16 


THE  END  OF  ALL  THINGS 

pleasant  fix  with  me,  and  therefore  unable 
to  help  me  out.  My  boy,  you  have  made 
me  very  happy.  I  shall  sleep  well  to- 
night. How  is  your  money  invested, 
Morris?  In  bonds  and  stock,  I  suppose. 
If  so,  they  will  be  easily  negotiable  for  my 
purposes." 

"What  is  the  exact  amount  that  you 
will  require,  pater?"  asked  Morris,  ignor- 
ing Trevor's  question. 

"Well,  half-a-million  would  be  ample. 
I  might  possibly  pull  out  with  less,  but 
that  amount  would  mean  entire  safety." 

"And  when  must  you  have  it?"  Lathrop 
continued. 

"This  is  Wednesday.  I  should  like  to 
have  it  to-morrow.  I  must  have  it,  at  the 
latest,  by  Saturday  noon." 

"Indeed!"  Lathrop  exclaimed.  To  dis- 
guise his  despair  from  the  other's  observa- 
tion, he  continued  with  an  assumption  of 
relief  in  his  voice:  "Oh,  well,  that  gives 
us  quite  time  enough." 
17 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"And  you  surely  will  not  fail  me,  Mor- 
ris?" the  financier  questioned,  pitifully  in- 
sistent. 

"Fail  you?"  Lathrop  repeated,  thought- 
fully. Then,  after  a  moment's  pause,  he 
spoke  very  solemnly : 

"Sir,  if  I  am  alive,  you  will  have  the 
money  on  time." 


18 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  GENESIS  OF  A  CRIMINAL 

THE  conference  of  the  two  men  in 
the  library  was  interrupted  by  the 
entrance  of  Edna  Trevor,  come  in  search 
of  her  father.  The  debutante  possessed  a 
face  of  charming  piquancy  and  a  manner 
shyly  vivacious.  Just  now,  however,  there 
was  an  obvious  attempt  at  hauteur,  by 
which  the  young  lady  of  society  meant  to 
mask  the  natural,  mischievous  gaiety  of 
the  schoolgirl.  Lathrop  greeted  her 
warmly,  for  he  was  very  fond  of  Carla's 
sister,  and,  presently,  after  having  paid 
her  the  compliments  demanded  by  the  oc- 
casion, he  accompanied  her  to  the  drawing- 
room,  in  quest  of  his  betrothed. 

He  found  Carla  Trevor  exquisite  to- 
night, as  always.     As  she  gave  him  her 
19 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

hand  in  greeting,  he  forgot  all  else  for  the 
moment,  and  regarded  her  fondly,  with  the 
pride  of  possession.  The  warm  pressure 
of  her  fingers  thrilled  him,  and  added  a 
subtle  zest  to  the  rapture  of  beholding  her 
loveliness.  His  delighted  eyes  rested  for 
an  instant  on  the  coronal  of  golden  hair, 
then  fell  eagerly  to  the  dainty,  radiant 
face,  in  which  the  violet  eyes  now  shown  so 
brilliantly  and  so  tenderly  on  him.  Never 
had  she  looked  more  beautiful  than  now. 

"You  have  seen  papa?"  she  asked,  after 
some  swiftly-whispered  words  from  her 
lover  that  set  her  to  blushing  happily. 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  replied;  "I  left  him 
only  a  minute  ago." 

"I  know  that  he  was  anxious  to  see  you 
to-night,"  Carla  continued.  "Something 
is  troubling  him,  but  he  will  not  tell  me 
what  it  is — indeed,  he  says  it  is  nothing. 
Do  you—?" 

Lathrop  evaded  the  question  ere  it  was 
completed  by  a  quick  word  of  praise  for 
20 


THE  GENESIS  OF  A  CRIMINAL 

her  gown,  and  thus  for  the  moment  be- 
guiled her  attention. 

"And  will  you  forgive  me  if  I  go  away 
very* early?"  he  inquired.  "I  have  a  num- 
her  of  things  that  must  be  attended  to  at 
once." 

"Oh,  something  for  papa!  Is  it  not?" 
Carla  exclaimed. 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  admitted. 

"Of  course,  Morris,  I  shall  miss  you 
horribly,"  the  girl  said,  "but  you  must  do 
as  you  think  best.  And  I  am  so  glad  that 
you  can  do  something  to  help  him!" 

An  hour  later,  Morris  Lathrop  left  the 
Trevor  mansion,  and  took  his  way  slowly 
on  foot  toward  his  apartments.  For  the 
first  time  since  he  had  reached  man's  estate, 
he  was  profoundly  distressed.  The  many 
things  that  he  must  do,  of  which  he  had 
spoken  to  his  fiancee,  were  in  truth  one 
single  thing:  he  must  solve  the  problem 
Fate  had  set  before  him. 
21 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"  'To  do  a  great  right,  do  a  little 
wrong,'  "  he  quoted,  as  he  entered  the  par- 
lor of  his  suite,  threw  off  his  overcoat,  and 
stood  contemplating  the  glowing  coals  in 
the  grate.  "I  have  heard  that  somewhere, 
but,  in  my  case,  I  must  change  it  a  bit: 
"To  do  a  great  right,  make  an  infernal 
scoundrel  of  yourself!" 

He  remained  for  some  time  wrapped  in 
thought,  but,  at  last,  with  an  exclamation 
of  determination,  he  rose  from  his  chair, 
crossed  the  room,  and,  having  unlocked  a 
drawer  of  his  desk,  took  from  it  a  revolver 
and  a  small  packet  of  paper,  of  the  sort 
used  by  chemists  in  putting  up  powders. 
These  objects,  he  placed  side  by  side  on 
the  desk,  and  then  surveyed  them  with  a 
contemptuous  smile. 

"I  had  decided  to  use  one  or  the  other 

of  them  before  morning,"  he  said  grimly: 

"decided,  as  I  believed,  irrevocably.    Now, 

I  am  no  longer  free  to  follow  my  own 

22 


THE  GENESIS  OF  A  CRIMINAL 

choice  in  the  matter.  I  find  myself  con- 
demned to  live.  So— 

He  thrust  the  revolver  back  into  its 
drawer,  and  tossed  the  packet  on  the  coals. 
Afterward,  he  seated  himself,  and  watched 
the  burning  of  the  paper  that  had  held 
the  poison. 

George  Trevor  had  been  the  dearest 
friend  of  Jason  Lathrop,  the  father  of 
Morris.  Twice,  his  aid  had  saved  the 
elder  Lathrop  from  financial  ruin.  The 
gratitude  thus  inspired  in  the  father  had 
been  passed  on  to  the  son,  as  a  part  of  his 
heritage.  In  addition  to  this,  Trevor  was 
the  father  of  the  girl  to  whom  Lathrop  had 
become  engaged ;  for  Carla's  sake,  he  must 
do  everything  possible  in  Trevor's  behalf. 
And,  finally,  by  reason  of  personal  inti- 
macy with  the  financier  since  his  father's 
death,  Morris  had  come  to  regard  George 
Trevor  almost  as  his  own  parent;  he  felt 
for  the  old  man  an  affection  truly  filial. 
23 


Thus,  it  was  brought  about  that  this  unex- 
pected appeal  from  the  one  man  on  earth 
whom  he  most  esteemed  and  loved,  filled 
him  with  consternation.  Confused  by  the 
suddenness  of  the  catastrophe,  he  found 
himself  wholly  unable  to  explain  to  the 
broker  the  fact  as  to  his  own  shattered 
fortunes.  He  dared  not  confess  the  cow- 
ardice by  which  he  had  planned  to  make 
an  end  of  his  life.  In  consequence,  ere 
he  himself  was  fully  aware  of  the  deed,  he 
had  pledged  his  aid  to  Trevor.  The  in- 
stantaneous relief  effected  on  the  spirits  of 
his  friend  by  this  promise  restrained  him 
from  any  withdrawal  of  it  afterward. 
Now,  therefore,  he  had  become  involved 
inextricably  in  an  undertaking  at  once  ab- 
surd and  impossible  of  achievement.  He, 
a  penniless  man,  was  expected  to  provide 
immediately  the  sum  of  half-a-million  dol- 
lars! 

Nevertheless,   Lathrop  stood  up   sud- 
denly to  the  full  six  feet  of  his  height,  and 
24 


THE  GENESIS  OF  A  CRIMINAL 

set  his  broad  shoulders  squarely,  belliger- 
ently ;  and  his  clean-cut  face  grew  cold  and 
hard. 

"Well,  it's  for  the  old  man,"  he  said 
aloud,  softly;  "and — somehow — I  am  go- 
ing to  do  it!" 

Presently,  the  tenseness  of  his  pose  re- 
laxed. He  drew  his  chair  a  little  closer  to 
the  fire,  seated  himself,  and  again  became 
absorbed  in  reflection. 

"Five  hundred  thousand!"  he  mused. 
"And  the  pater  asked  me  for  it  as  easily 
as  though  I  could  just  step  out  of  doors, 
and  pick  it  up  anywhere  in  the  street. 
Well,  I  fancy  that  is  what  I  shall  be  com- 
pelled to  do — with  certain  modifications. 
I  can't  borrow  such  a  sum ;  all  the  security 
I  have  to  offer  would  hardly  bring  me  five 
hundred  dollars.  I  suppose  that  I  might 
get  five,  or  even  ten,  thousand  from  Jack 
Millington,  on  my  I.  O.  U.  I'll  have  to 
do  that  for  pin-money.  Great  heaven, 
how  I  hate  the  bare  idea  of  it!  'Neither 
25 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

a  borrower,  nor  a  lender  be.'  Pish! 
Polonius  forgot  to  advise  his  son  against 
the  evils  of  stealing.  And  the  simple,  un- 
qualified, damnable  fact  is,  that  I  must 
steal  half-a-million  dollars  between  now 
and  Saturday  morning — sooner,  if  I  can!" 

Lathrop  glanced  hastily  at  his  watch. 

"I  can  catch  Jack  and  some  of  the  others 
at  the  club  yet,"  he  reflected:  "and,  since 
I  am  going  to  make  a  downright  scoundrel 
of  myself,  I  might  as  well  begin  now. 
Here's  to  the  crossing  of  the  Rubicon  be- 
tween honesty  and  crime !" 

Half-an-hour  later,  he  entered  one  of 
the  top-floor  rooms  of  the  club,  where  six 
men  of  about  his  own  age  were  seated 
around  a  green-covered  table.  He  proved 
to  be  a  welcome  intruder,  for  all  greeted 
him  warmly. 


26 


CHAPTER  III 

a,  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANOEUVRE 

JACK  MILLINGTOX  was  the  only 
son  of  the  most  successful  operator 
in  Wall  Street.  A  few  years  before  this 
night,  the  father  had  bestowed  on  him  two 
million  dollars,  along  with  certain  advice 
worth  rather  more.  The  result  of  these 
gifts  was  that  Jack  had  caused  his  two 
millions  to  grow  into  ten;  and,  moreover, 
he  was  swayed  by  a  keen,  sportsmanlike 
desire  to  multiply  these  millions  yet  often- 
times again.  For  the  rest,  he  was  a 
brawny,  red-visaged  young  man,  brim  full 
of  vigorous  animal  life ;  but  in  certain  lines 
of  his  expression  and  in  the  penetrant 
gleam  of  his  eyes  were  hints  of  a  masterful 
shrewdness  that  lay  back  of  his  obvious 
and  constant  good-nature.  As  Morris 
27 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

Lathrop  entered  the  card-room  of  the  club, 
Millington's  jovial  face  beamed  welcome, 
and  he  saluted  his  friend  noisily: 

"Hello,  old  man!"  he  called  out.  "Sit 
in,  won't  you?  Chapman  here  has  been 
sweeping  the  board  all  the  evening,  and  I 
haven't  won  a  pot.  Maybe  you'll  break  his 
luck.  How  much  are  you  in  Chappy, 
eh?" 

"Enough  to  buy  breakfast,  I  think," 
drawled  Chapman,  who  was  a  mystery, 
and  seemed  to  enjoy  being  one.  Nobody 
knew  anything  about  him,  except  that  he 
was  Harry  Chapman,  a  member  of  the 
club,  a  good  fellow,  always  possessed  of 
cash  for  any  emergency.  "Come  on 
Lathrop,"  he  added  now.  "I  can  afford 
a  change  of  luck." 

There  was  the  suggestion  of  a  flush  on 
the  face  of  Morris,  when  he  drew  the  triple 
stack  of  chips  in  front  of  him,  and  waited 
for  the  cards  to  be  dealt.  He  had  always 
been  scrupulous  about  his  play,  and  it  was 
28 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANOEUVRE 

the  first  time  that  he  had  ever  purchased 
pokerchips  without  having  the  money  in 
his  pocket  to  pay  for  them.  It  was  all 
done  in  a  moment,  however,  and  he  felt  as 
though  he  had  lost  something  he  could 
never  regain — as  though  he  had  plunged 
in  one  instant  from  the  pedestal  of  man- 
hood into  the  depths  of  degradation. 
Little  did  his  friends  know  of  the  battle 
that  was  raging  within  him  when  he  ac- 
cepted those  chips.  But  he  did  it,  and 
sighed.  And  then  his  face  grew  stern; 
the  softness,  the  geniality,  the  infectious 
merriment  departed  out  of  it,  as  a  light 
goes  out  in  a  room  and  leaves  it  in  sudden 
darkness.  He  played  differently,  too. 
Heretofore,  although  uniformly  lucky,  he 
had  played  carelessly,  with  apparent  in- 
difference. Now,  he  watched  every  card ; 
now,  he  played  to  win. 

For  that  very  reason,  doubtless,  he  lost. 
The  cards  were  not  kind  to  him,  and,  when, 
as  daylight  showed  dimly,  the  play  ceased* 
29 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

he  wrote  his  I.  O.  U.,  for  some  hundreds 
on  the  back  of  one  of  the  cards,  and  passed 
it  to  Chapman,  with  the  remark: 

"Settle  to-night,  old  man." 

"Shall  we  play  till  the  house  opens,  and 
then  have  breakfast?"  Chapman  sug- 
gested. 

But  the  others  demurred,  and,  presently, 
Millington  and  Lathrop  left  the  club  to- 
gether, in  the  gray  of  the  morning,  and, 
arm-in-arm,  strode  down  the  avenue. 

As  they  halted  in  front  of  the  young 
millionaire's  home,  the  latter  said : 

"Come  in,  Morris,  and  have  a  B.  and  S., 
unless  you  are  in  a  hurry  for  some  sleep. 
I'm  off  for  Chicago  on  the  eight-thirty. 
I'll  have  my  nap  on  the  train." 

"Will  you  be  long  away,  Jack?"  La- 
throp asked,  as  he  followed  his  friend  up 
the  steps. 

"I  don't  know — a  fortnight,  perhaps," 
Millington  replied.  "The  governor  ca- 
bled me  last  night — he's  in  Paris,  you 
30 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANOEUVRE 

know — that  a  lot  of  pirates  are  making 
ducks  and  drakes  of  his  interests  in  the 
West,  and  there  is  nothing  for  it  except 
that  I  must  run  out  and  fix  things  up  for 
him.  Deuced  bother  it  is,  too!" 

"I  wish  you  had  some  business  tact  about 
you,  Morris,"  he  remarked  suddenly,  after 
they  had  reached  his  study,  and  ensconced 
themselves  comfortably. 

"Why?"  Lathrop  questioned,  in  aston- 
ishment. 

"Well,  there  are  a  lot  of  things  I  want 
attended  to  to-day,"  was  the  answer,  "and, 
if  you  were  something  more  than  an  an- 
imated fashion-plate — no  offense,  old 
man! — you  might  do  me  no  end  of  a  favor. 
As  it  is,  I've  got  to  write  half-a-dozen  let- 
ters of  instruction,  and  then  worry  all  the 
time  I  am  away  for  fear  that  they  won't 
be  heeded.  It's  beastly  unfortunate  that 
I've  got  to  go  just  at  this  time." 

"Well,  why  do  you  go?"  Lathrop  in- 
quired, carelessly. 

31 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

Millington  stared  at  his  friend,  and  then 
laughed  outright. 

"You  don't  know  the  governor,"  he  said. 
"When  he  says  go,  I  go,  if  it  costs  a  mil- 
lion. You  see,  the  cable  didn't  get  here 
until  after  ten.  I  had  no  chance  to  see 
anybody,  and  I  must  catch  the  Empire." 

"Why  didn't  you  ask  Chapman?"  La- 
throp  demanded. 

"I  don't  like  him,"  Millington  declared, 
with  a  shake  of  the  head.  "I'd  rather  take 
chances  than  have  him  nosing  around  my 
affairs." 

"Courtright  was  there.  He's  on  the 
Street;  he  could  do  it  for  you — whatever 
it  is." 

"What  an  innocent  you  are,  Morris* 
Still,  of  course,  you  don't  know.  How 
should  you?  I'd  take  Courtright's  word 
for  any  amount,  and  he  would  mine;  but 
we'd  cut  each  other's  throats  down  on  the 
Street  in  a  minute.  It  would  take  him 
about  half-an-hour  to  find  out  how  he 
32 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANCEUVRE 

could  cut  mine,  and  he'd  do  it,  too,  while 
I  am  away." 

"What  is  it  you  want  done,  anyway?" 
Lathrop  asked,  indifferently.  "Perhaps, 
I  could  do  it." 

"Of  course,  you  could  do  it,  if  you 
would.  There  really  isn't  much  to  do,  you 
know.  Only,  keep  your  eyes  open,  and 
watch  things  while  I'm  away.  There  are 
about  a  hundred  and  one  things  to  attend 
to  to-day,  but,  after  that,  just  be  on  the 
alert  and  ready  to  snap  whenever  there  is 
anything  to  snap  at.  By  Jove.  I  have 
half  a  mind  to  ask  you  to  do  it." 

"Do  so,  if  you  think  I  am  capable," 
Lathrop  said. 

"Do  you  mean  it?" 

"Why,  certainly,"  was  Lathrop's  ready 
reply. 

At  that,  Millington  chuckled  conten- 
tedly. 

"Lord,  what  a  load  you  have  taken  from 
my  mind!"  he  exclaimed. 
33 


"Well,  I  may  take  a  load  from  your 
bank-account,  as  well,"  Morris  suggested, 
with  a  secret  self -disdain. 

"No  fear  of  that,  if  you  follow  instruc- 
tions," Millington  retorted.  "And  what  a 
joke,  too!"  he  added,  gleefully. 

"A  joke?"  his  friend  repeated,  puzzled. 
"How  so?" 

"Oh,"  came  the  explanation,  "because 
they  won't  know  what  to  make  of  you 
down  there.  You  have  never  dealt  any, 
have  you?  No,"  he  continued,  as  Lathrop 
shook  his  head,  "I  thought  not.  Gad! 
I've  a  good  notion  to  put  up  a  job  on 
Cummings.  I  owe  him  one  from  a  little 
deal  last  Fall.  How  much  cash  have  you 
in  bank,  Morris?" 

"Very  little,  from  your  standpoint, 
Jack,"  was  the  quiet  reply.  To  himself, 
Lathrop  added,  "At  least,  I  told  no  lie 
then." 

"Anyhow,  that  part  of  it  doesn't  mat- 
ter," Millington  went  on,  joyously.  "I'll 
34 


-A  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANOEUVRE 

fix  that  up.     I  have  an  idea  that  I  see  a 

way  in  which  to  make  this  trip  of  mine 

\  ** 

profitable.     You  see,  I  want  to  play  a 

game  on  Cummings,  and  this  is  the  time 
when  it  can  be  done.  He'll  know  that  I 
am  away,  and  he  will  plan  to  play  mouse 
to  my  cat.  If  you  will  do  just  as  I  say, 
you  can  add  a  hundred  thousand  or  so  to 
your  bank-account,  Morris,  during  the 
time  that  I  am  away."  He  paused  to  grin 
delightedly.  "And  so  can  I,"  he  con- 
cluded. "Will  you  help  me  out,  old 
man?" 

"Yes,  Jack,"  Lathrop  agreed.  Of  a 
sudden,  now,  his  manner  was  become  very 
serious ;  his  face  had  whitened. 

"Done,  then!"  Millington  cried,  boister- 
ously. "And,  so,  to  business!" 

The  ensuing  hour  was  devoted  to  dis- 
cussing stocks,  bonds,  securities,  collater- 
als, puts  and  calls,  longs  and  shorts,  dif- 
ferent men  and  the  motives  governing 
them,  along  with  a  general  history  of  the 
35 


operations  in  which  Millington  had  been 
engaged  for  months  past.  A  check  was 
drawn,  payable  to  Morris  Lathrop,  for 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  which  he  was 
to  deposit  in  his  bank  at  once ;  then,  a  small 
check-book  was  signed  throughout  in 
blank  by  Millington,  so  that  Lathrop 
could  fill  in  the  amounts  as  he  found  nec- 
essary in  carrying  out  the  directions  of  his 
friend.  Arrangements  were  made  so  that 
Lathrop  could  deal  on  the  Exchange  in 
his  own  name,  and  keep  from  the  knowl- 
edge of  others  that  he  represented  Mill- 
ington at  all,  except  for  a  few  immediate 
duties  to  be  attended  to  this  same  day — 
the  things  that  had  been  giving  the  young 
financier  most  anxiety  when  the  conversa- 
tion began. 

Finally,  and,  for  the  purposes  of  this 
history,  most  important  of  all — the  million- 
aire disengaged  three  keys  from  the  ring 
that  he  carried  in  his  pocket,  and  passed 
them  to  his  friend. 

36 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANCEUVRE 

"These  are  for  the  safe-deposit  vaults 
that  I  mentioned,"  he  said.  "This  one" 
— he  regarded  it  for  a  moment  before 
passing  it  over  to  Lathrop,  as  if,  at  that 
instant,  some  misgiving  concerning  what 
he  was  doing  entered  his  mind ;  as  if  some 
prophetic  sting,  warning  him  of  the 
danger  and  disgrace  of  which  the  act  was 
the  forerunner,  compelled  him  to  hesitate 
-"opens  the  safe  at  the  Westmoreland 
which,  as  I  have  already  told  you,  is  my 
own.  Everything  in  it  is  mine,  but  you 
will  find  the  bundle  named  in  your  mem- 
oranda directly  in  front.  The  other  se- 
curities, if  you  need  them,  you  will  have 
to  search  for.  But  you  have  a  complete 
list  of  everything,  so  I  need  not  go  over 
it  again." 

"All  right,  Jack,"  Lathrop  said  quietly, 
as  he  took  the  key  from  his  friend. 
,  "This  key  fits  the  safe  at  the  Midland," 
Millington    continued.     "That,    also,    is 
mine,  but  there  is  a  good  bit  of  the  govern- 
37 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

or's  there,  too.  You  won't  have  to  go  to 
it  before  the  first  of  the  week,  when  you 
spring  that  deal  on  Cummings.  You 
understand,  Morris?" 

"I  understand,"  Lathrop  declared,  his 
voice  expressionless. 

Millington  spoke  now  with  an  added 
emphasis : 

"And  this,"  he  said,  "is  the  key  of  the 
safe  the  governor  and  I  have  together  at 
Hie  Westmoreland.  And,  too,  it  is  the  key 
of  our  success,  should  Cummings  prove  a 
little  stronger  at  first  than  I  think  he  will. 
Should  he  crowd  you,  you  will  be  forced 
to  use  this  key.  Your  memoranda  will  tell 
you  precisely  what  to  do  in  that  case.  I 
hope,  Morris,  that  it  will  not  become  nec- 
essary for  you  to  use  this  key.  I  am  con- 
fident that  it  will  not  be.  But,  if  the  need 
comes,  don't  hesitate!  Everything  may 
depend  on  your  being  ready  on  the  instant 
.  .  .  Keep  those  keys,  so  that  you  will 
38 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  MANOEUVRE 

know  each  from  the  others,  without  any; 
doubt.     And  that  is  all,  I  think." 

"That  is  all,  I  think,"  Lathrop  agreed, 
simply. 


89 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  REWARD  OF  VILLAINY 

LATHROP  refused  his  friend's  in- 
vitation to  breakfast.  His  one  anx- 
iety now  was  to  part  company  with  Mill- 
ington  at  the  earliest  moment  possible,  for 
he  felt  himself  unequal  to  the  task  of  play- 
ing his  part  longer.  He  was,  indeed,  as 
one  distraught  before  this  opportunity 
thrust  upon  him  by  the  long  arm  of  co- 
incidence. The  fate  which  had  hitherto 
mocked  him  now  set  the  half -million  of  his 
desire  fairly  within  his  grasp.  The  thing 
was  quite  incredible:  nevertheless,  it  was 
true.  It  seemed  to  Lathrop  that,  in  a 
measure,  the  heinousness  of  the  deed  he 
planned  was  mitigated  by  the  fact  of  its 
simplicity.  He  had  resolved  to  venture 
40 


the  extreme  of  rascality  for  his  friend's 
sake.  And,  at  once  when  his  purpose  had 
been  formed,  the  required  money  was  put 
in  his  possession.  Destiny  itself  justified 
the  theft! 

At  least,  then,  he  would  be  enabled  to 
save  Trevor  from  disaster.  For  the  rest, 
it  was  possible  that,  within  the  fortnight  of 
Millington's  absence,  the  securities  might 
be  recovered  and  replaced.  In  that  event, 
his  own  reputation  would  remain  un- 
smirched,  although  his  self-respect  must 
suffer  always.  Yet,  he  knew  that  the 
chances  were  against  such  success.  In  all 
probability,  some  day,  near  or  distant, 
Would  witness  his  shame  before  the  world. 

"But,  always,  there  is  the  pistol,"  La- 
throp  muttered,  as  he  hurried  down  the 
avenue.  "As  well  one  time  as  another 
for  its  use.  The  only  difference  is  that  I 
hate  the  thought  of  dying  disgraced. 
The  idea  of  being  known  as  a  thief  is  ex- 
41 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ceedingly  unpleasant  to  me.  Still,  I  am 
not  sure  that  it  will  matter  to  me — after 
I  am  dead." 

He  did  not  return  to  his  apartment,  but, 
instead,  continued  on  down  the  avenue  un- 
til he  reached  the  Holland  House,  where 
he  stopped  to  breakfast.  He  wished  to 
relieve  Trevor's  anxiety  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, so,  when  he  had  done  eating,  he  has; 
tened  down  Broadway  on  foot.  He  fret- 
ted, half -amusedly,  over  the  slowness  of 
his  progress,  to  which  he  was  constrained 
by  the  fact  that  he  was  without  wherewith 
to  pay  for  cab  or  car. 

This  lack,  however,  was  soon  remedied, 
for  his  route  led  by  the  Beekman  Bank, 
where  he  was  known.  Here,  then,  he 
entered,  and  sought  the  president,  to  whom 
he  offered  Millington's  check. 

"I  should  like  to  open  an  account  with 
you,  Mr.  Morton,"  he  explained,  "if  you 
will  accept  so  small  a  sum  for  a  begin- 
ning." 

42 


THE  REWARD  OF  VILLAINY 

The  president  glanced  at  the  check,  and 
smiled. 

"Twenty-five  thousand?  I  wish  all  be- 
ginners were  as  good,"  he  declared,  gen- 
ially. "We  are  very  glad  to  have  you 
with  us,  Mr.  Lathrop;  very  glad,  indeed! 
Take  a  seat,  please,  and  I'll  have  the 
matter  arranged  in  a  minute.  .  .  . 
Young  Millington's  check  eh?" 

"My  dividend  on  a  deal  we  had  to- 
gether," Lathrop  remarked.  To  himself, 
he  added:  "My  first  lie!  I  wonder, 
where  will  my  lies  end!" 

"Do  you  wish  to  draw  anything  now?'* 
the  president  inquired. 

"Well,  yes,  I  think  perhaps  I  had  better 
take  a  couple  of  hundreds,"  Lathrop  re- 
plied, negligently.  "And  a  pocket  check- 
book, please." 

As  he  continued  on  his  way  down-town, 

a  curious  change  in  mood  was  wrought  by 

the  knowledge  that  there  were  dollars  in 

his  pocket.     A  little  earlier,  he  had  re- 

43 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

gretted  the  necessity  for  walking ;  now,  he 
walked  by;  preference  when  he  might  have 
ridden.  And,  too,  as  he  strode  onward, 
he  began  to  feel  a  strange  elation,  born  of 
the  consciousness  of  power — a  sensation 
wholly  unknown  to  him  hitherto.  Its  or- 
igin lay  in  the  fact  that,  for  the  first  time 
in  his  life,  he  had  become  an  active  agent 
in  human  affairs. 

"Why,  I  am  going  into  business,"  he 
reflected,  with  a  smile  of  self -derision,  yet 
with  a  feeling  of  pride.  "Of  course,  it  is 
beginning  the  thing  with  rather  a  black 
eye,  but  it  is  a  beginning,  none  the  less." 

Unhappily  for  him,  however,  this  mood 
was  of  the  most  transitory.  Soon,  he  was 
in  the  depths  of  self-loathing,  nor  could 
he  again  cajole  himself  into  lighthearted- 
ness.  The  implacable  truth  confronted 
him  constantly:  He  had  taken  an  irrep- 
arable step  downward ;  he  was  a  thief ! 

He  went  first  to  the  Westmoreland 
Safe-Deposit  Company's  vaults,  and,  hav- 
44 


THE  REWARD  OF  VILLAINY 

ing  presented  his  letter  to  the  superintend- 
ent, took  the  documents  he  wanted  from 
the  safe,  and  performed  the  several  duties 
which  Millington  had  regarded  as  most 
important.  Then,  having  filled  out  the 
two  of  the  blank  checks  with  amounts 
taken  from  the  memoranda  of  the  brokers 
upon  whom  he  called  to  settle  yesterday's 
accounts  for  his  friend,  the  legitimate 
work  of  the  day  was  done.  The  only  re- 
maining commission  that  he  had  to  fulfill 
was  the  contemplated  attack  upon  Cum- 
mings,  and  this  could  not  begin  for  a  day 
or  two  yet. 

It  was  now  two  o'clock,  and  he  directed 
his  steps  toward  the  office  of  George 
Trevor.  He  found  the  financier  seated  at 
his  desk,  apparently  as  calm  as  ever,  but 
the  lines  of  care  and  the  look  of  anxiety 
had  deepened  even  since  their  interview. 

"Ah,  Morris,"  he  exclaimed,  "I'm  glad 
you   have   come.     Close   the    door.     I'm 
afraid  it's  all  over  with  me." 
45 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"How  is  that,  pater?"  Lathrop  asked. 

"I  must  have  that  matter  arranged  be- 
fore the  bank  opens  to-morrow  morning." 
The  old  man's  voice  trembled  as  he  spoke. 

"Well,  that's  all  right,"  Morris  an- 
nounced placidly.  "I  could  have  brought 
it  with  me." 

"You  could?"  Trevor  cried  the  question 
hoarsely. 

"Certainly." 

"Good  God!" 

The  old  broker  leaned  back  in  his  chair, 
and  his  face  became  very  white.  Then 
Morris,  as  he  watched,  saw  tears  gathering 
in  the  corners  of  his  friend's  eyes.  But, 
presently,  the  whole  manner  of  the  man 
changed. 

"What  time  is  it?"  he  demanded,  sud- 
denly. 

"Three  minutes  past  two,"  Lathrop  re- 
plied, after  glancing  at  his  watch. 

"Would  you  have  to  go  far?"  was  the 
next  question. 

46 


THE  REWARD  OF  VILLAINY 

"For  the  securities?    No,  not  very  far." 

"Could  you  go  for  them,  and  get  back 
here  before  three?"  Trevor  inquired.  He 
was  .leaning  forward  now,  in  trembling 
eagerness. 

"Why,  yes,  I  think  so,"  Lathrop  an- 
swered. "Indeed,  I  am  sure  I  could  make 
it." 

"Then  try  it,  my  boy,"  the  financier 
exclaimed.  "Take  my  carriage — it's  at 
the  door  of  the  building.  Quick !  There's 
not  a  moment  to  lose!" 

Forthwith,  Morris  obediently  hurried 
from  the  office,  leaped  into  the  carriage, 
and  was  soon  driving  rapidly  again  to- 
ward the  Westmoreland  Safe-deposit 
vaults.  But,  now,  he  intended  to  make  im- 
mediate use  of  that  third  key  which  Mill- 
ington  had  hoped  he  might  not  need  at 
all.  The  memoranda  in  his  pocketbook 
told  him  what  to  select,  so  that  his  task 
was  wonderfully  simple.  As  he  stood  be- 
fore the  open  door  of  the  safe,  he  could 
47 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

not  but  wonder  at  the  confidence  reposed 
in  him  by  his  friend  in  giving  him  the  open 
sesame  for  such  wealth,  for  what  he  had 
abstracted  did  not  represent  a  tenth  part 
of  the  contents  of  the  repository.  And 
then  he  smiled  to  himself.  Twenty-four 
hours  earlier  in  his  career,  he  would  not 
have  thought  the  confidence  strange  or  un- 
usual, since  he  would  not  have  thought  of 
abusing  it.  It  was  only  another  version 
of  the  old  saw  that  a  guilty  conscience  is 
its  own  accuser. 

"It  is  done.  I,  Morris  Lathrop,  am  a 
thief."  He  laughed  aloud  as  he  uttered 
the  words,  while  the  carriage  was  whirl- 
ing back  again  toward  the  office  of  George 
Trevor.  The  old  man  was  awaiting  him, 
and  Lathrop  threw  the  bundle  of  securi- 
ties on  the  table. 

"There,  pater,"  he  said,  "figure  it  up 
for  yourself.     I  hope  there's  enough.     If 
there  isn't,  I  can  get  more." 
48 


"Enough!"  exclaimed  the  broker,  after 
ten  minutes  of  busy  silence.     "Why,  the 
most  conservative  figures  make  it  upward 
of  $755,000.     It's  more  than  I  need- 
much  more  1" 

"I  thought  you  said  you  wanted  half-a- 
million,"  Lathrop  exclaimed. 

"So  I  did — in  securities;  about  three 
hundred  thousand  in  cash.  Why,  boy. 
this  is  gilt-edged  collateral.  The  bank 
will  credit  me  with  almost  the  full  value 
of  this." 

"So  much  the  better,"  Lathrop  sug- 
gested, smiling.  "It  won't  do  any  harm  to 
have  a  little  extra  for  a  nest-egg." 

"Do  you  mean  that  I  shall  use  all  of  it?" 
the  financier  questioned,  eagerly. 

"Certainly;  that  is  what  I  brought  it 
here  for." 

The  old  man  looked  at  Lathrop  for  a 
moment;  then,  without  a  word,  he  sank 
down  upon  his  chair,  and  sobbed  aloud. 
49 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

The  terrible  strain  was  past,  and  he  gave 
way  under  the  reaction  as  he  would  not 
have  done  had  he  lost  everything. 

"Come,  come,  pater,  none  of  that,"  cried 
Lathrop,  brokenly.  "And  see:  it  is  a 
quarter  of  three!" 

"God  bless  you,  Morris!  God  bless 
you!"  Trevor  said,  softly.  "Wait  here 
for  me.  I  shall  return  very  soon." 

"I'm  afraid  the  other  fellow  wouldn't 
say,  'God  bless  you!'  to  me,  if  he  were 
here,"  muttered  Lathrop  when  he  was 
alone.  He  walked  to  the  window,  and 
looked  out  upon  the  passing  throng, 
wondering  vaguely  as  he  watched  that  web 
of  men  shuttling  to  and  fro  if  they  were 
all  thieves  like  himself. 

Trevor  returned  presently.  His  face 
was  beaming,  and  he  rubbed  his  hands 
contentedly  together. 

"It's  all  right,"  he  said.  "I'm  not 
afraid  of  the  whole  Street,  now.  The 
bank  did  an  unprecedented  thing :  credited 
50 


THE  REWARD  OF  VILLAINY 

me  with  the  full  amount.  What  do  you 
think  of  that?" 

"I  think  the  bank  ought  to  have  done 
it,"  was  the  prompt  answer. 

"Oh,  you  do!  Eh?"  the  elder  man  said, 
with  a  chuckle  of  enjoyment.  "Well,  sir, 
let  me  tell  you  that  the  banks  are  not  run 
as  charitable  institutions." 

Then,  in  a  moment,  his  face  grew  grave, 
as  he  drew  forth  a  formidable-appearing 
document. 

"Glance  over  this,  please,"  he  requested, 
extending  the  paper  to  his  companion. 

"Why,  what  is  this?"  Lathrop  inquired, 
in  astonishment.  He  had,  in  fact,  quite 
'forgotten  the  financier's  stipulation  that 
he  should  be  rewarded  for  his  services  in 
this  emergency  by  a  place  hi  the  firm  of 
George  Trevor  &  Company. 

"That,"  the  banker  replied,  "is  an  agree- 
ment of  partnership  between  us,  which  I 
have  caused  to  be  prepared.  It  is  dated 
thirty  days  back,  in  order  that  your  part 
51 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

in  to-day's  business  should  not  be  too  ap- 
parent." He  thrust  a  pen  into  Lathrop's 
hand.  "Sign  there,"  he  directed,  with  a 
gesture. 

And,  dazed  by  the  unexpectedness  of 
the  event,  Morris  Lathrop  wrote  his  name 
in  the  indicated  place,  as  he  had  been  com- 
manded. 


52 


CHAPTER  V 

A   MEETING   OF  MAIDENS 

LATHROP  stared  thoughtfully  at 
the  document  in  his  hand,  which  he 
had  signed  automatically  at  the  bidding  of 
the  financier. 

"Pater,"  he  said  presently,  "I  don't 
think  that  you  should  do  this  thing — make 
me  a  partner  in  your  firm." 

"Why  not,  sir?"  came  the  crisp  inquiry. 

"Well,  there  are  many  reasons,"  the 
young  man  answered  hesitatingly.  "The 
principal  one — and  it  is  sufficient — is  that 
I  am  by  no  means  fit." 

"That  is  my  concern,"  Trevor  declared, 
"and  I  am  quite  content.  Why,  my  dear 
Morris,  do  you  realize  what  you  have  done 
for  me  to-day?  You  have  saved  my  lifel 
I  should  never  have  survived  it,  had  I  gone 
53 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

to  the  wall.  In  addition  to  that,  you  have 
saved  my  fortune,  and  Edna's  and  Carla's. 
What  is  far  more  than  all  the  rest:  you 
have  saved  my  honor.  I  shall  never  for- 
get that.  The  half  of  this  business  is 
small  recompense  for  such  service.  .  .  ." 
The  broker  paused  for  a  moment  to  con- 
trol his  emotion.  Then,  he  continued  in 
a  changed  voice :  "In  a  week  or  so,  I  shall 
be  able  to  return  your  securities  to  you, 
Morris.  By  the  way,  that  reminds  me: 
Those  securities !  Where  in  the  world  did 
you  get  hold  of  them?" 

Lathrop  started  slightly,  but  gave  no 
other  sign  of  his  agitation  at  the  question. 

"Why  do  you  ask  that?"  he  inquired, 
lazily. 

The  financier  smiled  complacently. 

"Oh,  it  is  nothing  much,"  he  said;  "only^ 
that  it  happens  to  be  the  best  joke  of  the 
season!  There  are  men  on  the  Street  at 
this  moment  who  would  give  a  fortune  to 
know  that  you  are  in  possession  of  this 
54 


A  MEETING  OF  MAIDENS 

particular  stock.     Of  course,  Sam  Mill- 
ington  must  know  that  you  have  it. 

"You  see,  Morris,"  he  resumed,  pres- 
ently^, "this  is  the  fact  of  the  matter:  Sam 
Millington  has  been  my  enemy  time  out  of 
mind ;  it  was  his  influence  that  was  pushing 
me  to  the  wall  in  this  present  case  when 
I  appealed  to  you  for  help.  And  now, 
at  the  psychological  moment,  you  bring 
me  this  block  of  stock  which  everybody 
believes  him  to  have  locked  up  in  one  of 
his  safe-deposit  vaults.  If  he  had  ever 
guessed  the  possibility  of  such  a  use  for 
it,  he  would  have  burned  it.  I  never 
dreamed  of  such  a  thing  as  that  Milling- 
ton  should  let  that  stock  go.  You  are 
cleverer  than  I  thought  you,  Morris.  On 
my  word,  you'll  make  a  capital  partner!" 

"Oh,  that  brings  me  back  to  what  I  was 
saying,"  Lathrop  exclaimed.  "Really, 
sir,  this  partnership  affair  should  not  be 
carried  on." 

"But  I  insist  on  it,"  the  financier  cried, 
55 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

hotly.  "Besides,  my  boy,  you  have 
signed,  so  that  the  thing  is  settled.  And, 
Morris,"  he  added,  gently,  "I  want  you 
here  with  me." 

"You  said  that  the  agreement  was  dated 
thirty  days  back?"  Lathrop  asked,  reflec- 
tively. 

"Yes." 

"Very  well,  then,"  the  young  man  con- 
ceded, after  a  short  pause.  "Let  things 
go  on  as  they  now  are  for  a  month  longer. 
If,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  you  are  still 
anxious  to  have  me  here  with  you,  I  shall 
be  very,  very  glad  to  come,  sir." 

"Very  well,"  Trevor  agreed.  "And 
now  come  with  me.  I'll  drive  you  to  the 
club.  Afterward,  you  must  go  home  to 
dinner  with  me." 

"Not  to-night,  pater,"  Lathrop  said. 
"I'll  ride  with  you  as  far  as  the  club,  but  I 
must  leave  you  there.  I  have  something 
of  importance  that  I  must  attend  to  be- 
fore the  day  is  done.  I  had  formed  plans 
56 


A  MEETING  OF  MAIDENS 

yesterday  which  were  upset  by  our  con- 
versation last  night.  I  wrote  a  letter 
concerning  them  to  a  very  dear  friend  of 
mine,  and  I  fear  that  I  may  have  caused 
unnecessary  pain.  So,  I  must  straighten 
the  matter  out,  without  a  minute  of  need- 
less delay." 

Both  men  were  silent  during  the  drive, 
and,  soon  after  entering  the  club,  they 
separated.  Lathrop  was  absorbed  in 
thinking  of  that  complication  which  he 
had  forgotten  throughout  the  day.  In 
consequence,  he  did  not  linger  long  at  the 
club,  but  hurried  off  to  his  apartment. 

As  he  entered  the  elevator,  he  was  met 
by  the  announcement: 

"There  is  a  lady  waiting  for  you,  sir." 

"A  lady?"  Lathrop  repeated,  in  some 
perplexity. 

"She  came  early  this  afternoon,  sir,"  the 

attendant    answered.     "She   was    in    the 

reception-room  for  a  long  time.     It  is  the 

same  one  who  was  here  once  before,  so  I 

57 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

took  the  liberty  of  admitting  her  to  your 
parlor.  She  said  she  must  wait  until  you 
came.  I  hope  I  did  right,  sir." 

"Oh,  certainly,"  Lathrop  replied.  He 
spoke  quietly,  but  he  was  excessively 
annoyed  nevertheless,  and  showed  it  by  the 
impatient  haste  of  his  stride  as  he  ad- 
vanced along  the  passage  to  the  door  of 
his  suite.  This  stood  wide  open,  and, 
through  it,  in  a  far  corner,  he  perceived 
the  form  of  a  woman,  half -buried  within 
a  huge  chair. 

The  visitor  sprang  up  as  he  entered  the 
room,  and  ran  toward  him  with  both  hands 
eagerly  outstretched  in  welcome.  There 
were  tears  in  her  eyes ;  her  face  was  flushed 
with  the  deep  emotion  of  the  moment. 
And  that  face  was  tender,  sweet,  pathetic, 
wistful.  It  was  very  beautiful,  as  well, 
with  the  dark  loveliness  of  the  Spanish 
woman.  The  perfectly-fitting  tailored 
suit  she  wore  showed  to  advantage  the 
curving  litheness  of  her  slender  body. 
58 


"Oh,  Morris!  Morris!  You  have  re- 
turned. Thank  heaven!"  she  cried  fer- 
vently, in  a  soft,  rich  voice,  musically; 
vibrant.  She  drooped  to  Lathrop's 
breast,  and  gave  way  to  a  passion  of  weep- 
ing. 

He  waited  patiently  until  the  paroxysm 
was  past ;  then  he  led  her  back  to  the  chair 
which  she  had  vacated. 

"There!  there,  'Rita!"  he  said  soothing- 
ly, as  to  a  child.  "I  have  changed  my 
mind  since  I  wrote  you  that  letter  yester- 
day. I  should  have  been  up  to  see  you 
within  the  half-hour.  How  long  have 
you  been  here?" 

"Oh,  since  ten  o'clock  this  morning,"  the 
girl  answered,  plaintively.  "I  received 
your  letter  at  that  time,  and  so,  of  course, 
I  came  at  once.  Oh,  Morris,  you  are  not 
going  away  as  you  said  in  the  letter?" 

"No,   dear,   I   am  not   going  away," 

Lathrop  assured  her;   "at  least,  not  at 

present — not  for  two  weeks  I  think, 

59 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

way,  But  you  should  not  have  come  here, 
'Rita.  I  told  you  that  when  you  came  be- 
fore." 

"I  could  not  help  it;  indeed,  I  could 
not,"  the  girl  pleaded,  tremulously. 
"Your  letter  was  so  strange,  Morris,  that 
it  frightened  me.  It  made  me  think  that 
I  might  never  see  you  again,  and  I  should 
have  died  if  that  were  true.  You  will  not 
go  away  without  coming  to  bid  me  good- 
bye, will  you?  Ever?  Promise  me  that, 
Morris!" 

"Yes,  I  promise,  if  in  return  you  wiU 
promise  never  to  come  here  again,  under 
any  circumstance — that  is,  alone.  I  don't 
suppose  you  have  had  any  luncheon,  have 
you?"  he  demanded. 

"No,  nor  breakfast  either.  I  came  at 
once  when  I  received  the  letter." 

"Poor  child,  you  must  be  starved!* 
Lathrop  exclaimed.  "Come,  we  will  go 
at  once." 

"Where  were  you  going,  Morris?"  the 
60 


A  MEETING  OF  MAIDENS 

girl  asked,  as  he  buttoned  her  coat  around 
her.  The  clouds  had  all  disappeared,  and 
now  sunshine  sparkled  in  her  eyes  and  up- 
on her  face. 

"Well,"  he  replied  somewhat  grimly,  "I 
am  not  exactly  certain  where  I  was  going. 
The  route  that  I  had  selected  might  have 
taken  me  to  either  of  two  destinations, 
but  I  am  in  some  doubt  as  to  which  one 
would  have  fitted  me  the  better.  .  .  . 
Are  you  ready?" 

He  turned  toward  the  door.  His  hand 
was  upon  the  knob,  when  there  came  a 
sudden  and  sharp  rap  upon  the  panels. 

"Step  into  the  next  room,  'Rita," 
Lathrop  directed,  in  a  low  tone.  Then, 
after  giving  her  time  to  obey,  he  threw 
open  the  door,  and  immediately  uttered 
an  involuntary  ejaculation  of  astonish- 
ment, for  at  the  threshold  stood  Edna 
Trevor. 

"May  I  come  in,  Morris?"  she  de- 
manded, brightly,  with  a  mischievous  smile 
61 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

at  her  own  audacity  in  this  expedition. 
[Without  waiting  for  her  host's  permission, 
she  stepped  past  him  into  the  room,  and 
paused  in  the  centre  of  it,  devouring  with 
eager  eyes  the  decorated  walls,  the  bric-a- 
brac,  the  curios — everything,  while  La- 
throp,  excessively  annoyed,  stood  in 
silence,  regarding  her  with  frowning 
brows. 

"It's  lovely — just  lovely!"  the  girl  ex- 
claimed presently,  with  enthusiasm.  "I 
never  saw  a  bachelor-apartment  before, 
you  know,  and  I  have  so  wanted  to! 
Pipes  and  swords  and  armor  and  shields! 
.  .  .  I  was  going  by,  and  the  tempta- 
tion to  run  in  was  too  great  for  my 
powers  of  resistance.  So,  here  I  am! 
Aren't  you  going  to  give  me  some  tea, 
Morris?" 

"I  am  very  sorry,  but  I  haven't  time  to 
do  that,"  Lathrop  replied,  rather  coldly. 
"I  was  on  the  point  of  going  out  when 
you  came." 

62 


A  MEETING  OF  MAIDENS 

"Oh,  you  were!"  Edna  exclaimed,  with 
a  pout  of  disappointment.  Then,  in  an 
instant,  her  manner  changed.  "What  is 
that?"  she  cried,  sharply.  She  had  been 
moving  about  the  room  inquisitively  while 
speaking;  now,  she  stopped  short  and 
picked  up  something  from  the  floor.  It 
was  a  dainty,  wine-colored  glove — a  tiny 
thing,  much  too  small  even  for  her  own 
shapely  hand.  She  held  it  between  her 
fingers  disdainfully  for  a  moment;  then, 
she  turned  slowly  toward  Lathrop. 

"Whose  glove  is  this?  Where  did  it 
come  from?"  she  demanded. 

"I  found  it  in  the  elevator,"  Lathrop 
lied,  glibly. 

"Nonsense,  Morris!"  Edna  retorted, 
with  manifest  contempt.  "If  you  had 
found  it  there,  you  would  have  left  it  to 
be  claimed.  There  has  been  someone  here. 
Ah,  there  was  someone  here  when  I  came. 
She  is  here  now.  Yes,  I  can  smell  her, 
I  know  I  can." 

63 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"You  can — what?"  Lathrop  cried, 
aghast. 

"I  can  smell  her,"  Edna  repeated,  no 
whit  dismayed.  "Yes,  violet  perfume. 
Morris  Lathrop,"  she  continued  sternly, 
"have  you  a  woman  concealed  in  your 
apartments?" 

As  the  young  man  maintained  a  sullen 
silence  before  the  question,  she  darted  a 
last  angry  glance  at  him,  then  started 
toward  the  door.  Before  she  had  taken 
three  steps,  she  was  arrested  by  the  ap- 
pearance, from  the  room  beyond,  of  the 
other  visitor,  whose  cheeks  were  flushed 
with  excitement  and  anger. 

"You  have  guessed  rightly,  senorita," 
the  new-comer  said  haughtily.  "I  am 
here." 

For  a  brief  space,  the  two  women  stood 
facing  each  other,  the  one  defiant,  the 
other  speechless  with  indignant  amaze- 
ment. Finally,  Lathrop  deemed  it  wiser 
to  interfere,  and  he  went  forward. 
64 


A  MEETING  OF  MAIDENS 

"Miss  Trevor,"  he  said,  "permit  me  to 
introduce  to  you  Senorita  Ortega.  Clar- 
ita,  this  is  Miss  Edna  Trevor.  You  have 
heard  me  speak  of  her." 

Clarita  bowed  coldly.  But  Edna  drew 
herself  stiffly  erect,  and  turned  away  with- 
out a  sign  of  recognition.  As  she  faced 
Lathrop,  she  addressed  him  in  a  voice  of 
wrath. 

"How  dare  you!"  she  exclaimed. 
"How  dare  you  introduce  such  a  person 
to  me!"  And,  forthwith,  she  swept  past 
him,  opened  the  door,  passed  out,  closed 
it  behind  her,  and  was  gone. 


65 


CHAPTER  VI 

JACK  MILLINGTON'S  RETURN 

^*¥  71  THAT  did  she  mean  by  call- 
\  \     ing    me    'such    a    person?' ' 
Clarita  questioned,  when  the   door  was 
shut  behind  the  departing  visitor. 

"I  wouldn't  bother  about  that  now, 
'Rita,"  Lathrop  urged,  wearily.  "Come; 
if  you  are  ready,  let  us  go,  please." 

"Did  she  mean  to  imply  that  I  had  no 
right  to  be  here?"  the  girl  persisted. 

"Probably.  For  that  matter,  neither 
had  she  any  right  to  come  here,  so  the 
matter  is  even  between  you.  But  do  come 
now." 

"Wait,"  Clarita  entreated.  "Tell  me: 
Is  she  the  lady  to  whom  you  are  en- 
gaged?" 

"No,"  Lathrop  replied;  "her  sister." 
66 


JACK  MILLINGTON'S  RETURN 

"What  is  the  name  of  that  sister  whom 
you  are  to  marry?"  was  the  next  question. 

The  discomfited  young  man  sighed  fret- 
fully, as  he  answered : 

"Carla." 

"And  this  one  is  Edna,"  his  tormentor 
mused. 

"Yes,  this  is  Edna,"  Lathrop  agreed, 
impatiently. 

"Will  she  tell  her  sister  that  I  was  here, 
concealed  in  your  rooms?"  Clarita  asked, 
after  a  meditative  pause. 

"Oh,  no;  I  think  not — that  is,  I  don't 
know — I  hope  not!"  There  was  embar- 
rassment in  Lathrop's  voice,  and  a  trace 
of  anxiety  in  his  expression. 

"Is  this  Carla — I  hate  the  name — is  she 
jealous?  Will  she  care  if  Edna  tells  her 
that  I  was  here,  do  you  think?" 

"What  nonsense  are  you  conjuring  up 
now,  'Rita?"  Lathrop  exclaimed  sharply, 
for  he  was  greatly  annoyed.     "There  is 
no  occasion  for  any  jealousy." 
67 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

The  girl  went  close  to  him,  and  took 
one  of  his  hands  in  hers.  Then,  raising 
it  to  her  lips,  she  kissed  it  gently. 

"I  think  that,  were  I  in  her  place,  I 
should  be  jealous,"  she  said.  As  she 
spoke,  she  cast  on  him  a  gaze  so  filled  with 
adoration  it  seemed  impossible  that  he 
could  fail  to  perceive  it.  "And,"  Clarita 
continued,  "this  Edna  will  tell  her.  I  am 
sure :  I  saw  it  in  her  eyes.  She  hates  me 
— oh,  yes!  I  think  that  she  loves  you, 
Morris." 

"What!  Edna?"  Lathrop  ejaculated, 
flushing.  "That  is  nonsense.  Really. 
'Rita,  you  are  absurd." 

"Well,  I  think  that  it  is  true,"  was  the 
unperturbed  answer.  "Perhaps,  even  she 
herself  did  not  know  it  until  just  now, 
when  she  found  me  here.  But  I  believe 
that  she  knows  it  now.  That  is  what 
made  her  so  angry.  She  is  jealous." 

Lathrop  realized  that  any  effort  to  con- 
vince the  girl  against  her  will  must  be 
68 


THE  GIRL  WENT  CLOSE  TO  HTM  AND  TOOK 
ONE  OF  HIS  HANDS  IN  HERS. 

—Page  68 


JACK  MILLINGTON'S  RETURN 

futile  at  this  time;  therefore,  he  made  no 
rejoinder,  but  led  the  way  to  the  door  in 
silence.  He  was  too  much  a  man  of  the 
wo'rld  not  to  know  that  his  two  visitors 
were,  in  a  measure,  compromised  by  the 
incident  which  had  taken  place,  but  he  de- 
pended on  the  loyalty  of  Edna  to  keep  the 
matter  secret  until  he  should  have  oppor- 
tunity for  adequate  explanation  of  the 
situation.  He  regretted  bitterly  now  that 
he  had  requested  Clarita  to  conceal  herself 
in  the  adjoining  room.  The  thing  was 
done,  however,  and  there  remained  only  to 
make  the  best  of  an  extremely  unfortu- 
nate occurrence. 

"You  will  spend  the  evening  with  me, 
Morris?"  Clarita  questioned  as,  an  hour 
later,  they  went  out  of  the  restaurant. 

Lathrop  did  not  reply  until  the  cab  to 
which  he  signaled  had  drawn  up  by  the 
curb. 

"No,  not  to-night,  'Rita,"  he  said  then. 
"I  must—" 

69 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

" — hasten  to  Carla,  I  suppose,"  the 
girl  interrupted,  petulantly.  "Is  it  so?" 

"No,  dear,"  Lathrop  replied.  "I—" 
He  broke  off  to  say  good-evening  to 
Chapman,  who  passed  at  this  moment. 
Then,  he  spoke  to  the  girl  again:  "I'll 
come  to-morrow  evening,  if  you  like;  but 
to-night  it  is  impossible." 

He  put  her  into  the  hansom.  After- 
ward, as  it  drove  away,  he  turned  to  Chap- 
man, who  stood  near  by,  awaiting  him. 

"Step  inside  for  a  moment,  Chapman," 
he  said.  "I  wish  to  give  you  a  check  for 
that  I.  O.  U." 

"Oh,  never  mind  now,"  the  other  pro- 
tested. 

"You'll  be  at  the  club  to-night,  won't 
you?" 

Lathrop  made  no  reply  as  he  led  Chap- 
man into  the  vestibule.  But,  after  the 
check  had  been  filled  out  and  delivered,  he 
said: 

70 


JACK  MILLINGTON'S  RETURN 

"No,  I  shall  not  go  to  the  club  to- 
night." 

"Ah,  a  date,  I  suppose,"  Chapman 
exclaimed,  banteringly.  "I  say,  old  man, 
who  was  the  charmer?  You  seem  to  be 
on  pretty  good  terms  with  her.  I  heard 
you  call  her  'dear.' ' 

Lathrop  raised  his  eyes  until  he  en- 
countered those  of  his  club  acquaintance. 
For  a  long  moment,  he  stared  full  at  the 
fellow;  then,  he  deliberately  turned  his 
back,  and  walked  away  without  another 
word.  But  Chapman  hastened  to  follow. 

"Here,  Lathrop,  old  boy!"  he  called. 
"I  apologize,  you  know." 

Lathrop  turned,  with  a  look  of  con- 
tempt. 

"Mr.  Chapman,"  he  said,  "an  apology 
for  a  slight  or  for  a  mistake  is  good.  But 
it  seems  to  me  that  bad  taste,  such  as  you 
have  shown,  is  its  own  apology.  Good- 
night." 

71 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

As  he  continued  on  his  way,  he  was  far 
from  realizing  the  bitterness  of  the  enmity 
which  he  had  provoked  by  those  few 
words.  If  he  had  known  the  truth,  he 
would  have  recked  little  of  the  fact. 
Yet,  that  incident,  so  insignificant,  seem- 
ingly, was  vital  in  the  history  of  Morris 
.Lathrop. 

Chapman  stood  for  a  minute  as  one 
stunned  by  the  scathing  rebuke.  Through 
the  first  few  seconds,  he  was  hard  put  to 
it  lest  he  hurl  himself  on  Lathrop.  But, 
in  the  end,  he  mastered  the  first  fierceness 
of  his  emotion.  He  was  on  the  point  of 
resuming  his  walk,  when  by  chance,  he 
raised  his  eyes,  and  saw,  just  turning  the 
corner  into  Fifth  avenue,  the  cab  in  which 
was  the  young  lady  who  had  been  the  in- 
nocent cause  of  his  humiliation;  a  block 
at  the  corner  had  delayed  its  progress 
hitherto.  Instantly,  his  resolve  was  taken. 
A  hansom  was  near  at  hand,  awaiting  a 
72 


JACK  MILLINGTON'S  RETURN 

fare.  He  hurried  to  this,  and  addressed 
the  driver. 

"You  see  that  cab  just  at  the  corner 
there,"  he  said  swiftly,  with  a  gesture. 

"Yes,  sir,"  the  cabman  replied. 

"Well,"  Chapman  continued  as  he 
sprang  into  the  hansom,  "I  want  you  to 
keep  it  in  sight.  Double  fare.  But  be 
careful  not  to  get  too  close." 

As  he  sank  down  on  the  seat,  the  driver 
cracked  his  whip,  and  the  pursuit  began. 

As  for  Lathrop,  he  made  his  way 
directly  to  the  Trevor  mansion,  where  he 
rang  the  bell,  and,  when  the  butler  ap- 
peared, penciled  a  few  words  on  a  card, 
which  he  sent  up  to  Edna.  Five  minutes 
later  she  confronted  him  in  the  drawing* 
room. 

"It  was  my  first  impulse,"  she  said,  be- 
fore he  could  speak,  "to  send  down  word 
that  I  wrould  not  see  you,  but  I  knew  that. 
73 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

if  I  did,  you  would  come  again.  Of 
course,  I  cannot  forbid  you  the  house,  but 
I  can  and  do  refuse  to  receive  you  myself. 
You  need  not  try  to  explain.  I  would  not 
believe  you  if  you  did,  so  it  is  useless." 

Lathrop,  half -amused,  half -angry,  said 
the  most  unfortunate  thing  that  he  could 
have  uttered. 

"You  talk  like  a  foolish  little  girl. 
Edna,"  he  said,  smiling. 

Edna's  wrath  was  at  white  heat  on  the 
instant,  but  it  found  expression  in  half- 
subdued  contempt. 

"I  will  not  quarrel  with  you,"  she  de- 
clared, tensely,  "but  I  will  say  this:  I 
have  not  told  Carla.  That,  of  course,  is 
what  you  came  to  beg  of  me  not  to  do.  I 
have  not  told  her,  but  I  intend  to  do  so  as 
soon  as  I  know  who  that  woman  is,  and  I 
have  already  taken  measures  to  find  out. 
I  saw  you  leave  the  house.  I  myself  fol- 
lowed you  to  the  restaurant.  And,  I 
found  somebody  there  who  agreed  to 
74 


JACK  MILLINGTON'S  RETURN 

follow  her,  and  to  learn  all  about  her, 
and  it  will  be  done."  Edna  turned  then, 
ajid,  without  heeding  his  call  to  her,  rushed 
from  the  room. 

Thus  it  happened  that  there  were  two 
sleuths  on  the  track  of  Clarita  Ortega  that 
night. 

Lathrop,  after  the  girl's  departure, 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  pulled  vi- 
ciously at  his  moustache,  while  one  foot 
tapped  impatiently  on  the  carpet.  Then, 
with  a  disconsolate  shake  of  the  head,  he 
went  out  of  the  drawing-room,  and  along 
the  hall  to  the  library,  where  he  opened  the 
door,  and  stepped  within  the  room. 

The  instant  his  foot  was  across  the 
threshold,  he  paused  in  sudden  consterna- 
tion, shaken  by  the  knowledge  that  his  sins 
had  found  him  out.  In  that  moment,  he 
would  have  given  everything  in  the  world, 
his  own  life  included,  could  he  but  have 
undone  the  events  of  the  last  twenty- four 
hours.  For,  standing  there  in  the  centre 
75 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

of  the  room  facing  him,  as  if  expectant  of 
his  coming,  was  the  man  whom  he  had  be- 
lieved to  be  in  Chicago — Jack  Millington! 


76 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

IT  has  been  said  that  when  a  man  faces 
what  he  believes  to  be  inevitable 
death,  the  events  of  his  entire  life,  no 
matter  how  long  it  has  been,  nor  how  filled 
with  incident,  pass  in  review  before  him  in 
an  infinitesimal  space  of  time.  Certainly, 
every  detail  connected  with  Lathrop's  ex- 
perience during  the  previous  twenty-four 
hours  was  prominently  in  his  recollection 
in  that  one  instant  when  he  saw  and  recog- 
nized Millington,  in  the  library  of  George 
Trevor.  His  face,  however,  betrayed 
none  of  the  emotion  he  felt.  It  had  been 
set  to  sternness  when  he  opened  the  door, 
as  a  result  of  the  interview  he  had  just  had 
with  Edna,  and  now  its  expression  did  not 
change.  But  his  perceptions  were  sharp- 
77 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ened  by  the  sudden  encounter,  and  the 
eager  start  forward  which  Millington 
made  told  him  that  nothing  had  been  dis- 
covered as  yet,  although  he  could  in  no 
way  account  for  the  young  man's  presence 
in  this  place. 

Millington  stepped  to  him  quickly,  and 
thrust  out  his  hand. 

"Morris,"  he  said  eagerly,  "you  are  a 
friend  in  need.  You  have  come  in  the 
nick  of  time." 

"I'm  glad  of  that,"  Lathrop  declared 
with  great  cordiality.  "But  I  thought 
you  were  in  Chicago,  or  very  near  it,  by 
this  hour." 

"So  I  intended  to  be,"  was  the  answer; 
"so  I  should  have  been,  but  for  a  telegram 
which  headed  me  off  and  turned  me  back 
at  Utica.  I've  just  got  in  town,  and 
came  directly  here.  Sit  down.  There  is 
no  privacy  about  this  interview — that  is, 
none  so  far  as  you  are  concerned." 

"It  must  be  something  important  to 
78 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

bring  you  back,  in  the  face  of  the  orders 
you  received  from  the  governor,"  Lath- 
rop  hazarded. 

"It  is,"  Millington  declared,  emphatic- 
ally. "I  came  back  just  to  see  Trevor. 
I  might  as  well  have  gone  on,  for  I  can't 
do  a  thing  with  him!" 

"What's  the  trouble,  pater?"  asked 
Lathrop,  turning  his  eyes  upon  the  finan- 
cier. 

The  old  man  smiled  grimly. 

"No  trouble  at  all,"  he  replied.  "The 
trouble  is  all  past — for  me;  it  is  just  be- 
ginning for  a  few  others — your  friend 
here,  for  instance." 

"I  don't  mind  telling  you,"  interrupted 
Millington,  "although  it  does  not  redound 
to  my  credit.  Still" — and  he  turned  to 
Trevor — "it  is  really  the  governor  you 
must  blame,  not  me.  It's  this  way,"  he 
continued,  addressing  Lathrop.  "Trevor 
is  concerned  in  a  deal  which  is  immense ;  he 
ought  to  make  millions  out  of  it;  he  has 
79 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

organized  a  syndicate  to  control  the  out- 
put of  copper  for  the  entire  world — that 
is,  to  control  the  market,  which  is  the  same 
thing.  The  governor,  through  his  friends 
here,  has  been  working  to  break  him,  and 
they — or  shall  I  say  we,  Mr.  Trevor?" 

"It  would  be  nearer  the  truth,"  came  the 
uncompromising  reply. 

"Very  well — although  it  is  not  the 
truth! — we  thought  we  had  him.  We 
figured  very  closely,  on  just  how  far  he 
could  go,  and  we  meant  to  break  him. 
That's  the  unvarnished  truth.  We  looked 
up  every  security  he  held;  or  rather,  we 
thought  we  did.  Then,  at  the  very  mo- 
ment when  he  is,  as  we  believe,  on  the 
point  of  failure,  lo!  he  bobs  up  with  an- 
other million  or  two,  and  we're  out  in  the 
cold.  Now,  I've  returned  to  try  to  induce 
him  to  take  me  into  the  deal.  I've  made 
him  a  handsome  off er.  He  won't  deny 
that.  Will  you,  Trevor?" 

"No;  not  at  all,"  the  financier  agreed. 
80 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

"But  he  refuses — says,  if  I  had  come 
the  day  before  yesterday,  or  yesterday] 
even,  he  would  have  jumped  at  the  chance; 
now,  it's  too  late.  I've  offered  to  place  a 
million  dollars  to  his  credit  at  once,  and  to 
stand  ready  to  back  him  for  five  more  at 
the  drop  of  the  hat.  He'll  need  it,  too, 
before  he  is  through  with  this  deal,  and  he 
knows  it,  although  he  doesn't  know  what  I 
know.  Now,  Morris,  I  want  you  to  help 
me  persuade  him." 

"Is  this  your  affair,  Jack,  or  your 
father's?"  Lathrop  asked. 

"Mine,"  Millington  made  answer,  vig- 
orously. 

"Your  father  has  nothing  to  do  with  it? 
And  he  won't  have?" 

"No,  I  tell  you.  I'm  alone — abso- 
lutely. Why,  as  to  that,  of  course  I  want 
a  share  in  the  profits;  but,  chiefly,  I  want 
to  steal  a  march  on  the  governor." 

Lathrop  turned  to  Trevor. 

"If  you  should  give  Jack  the  chance  he 
81 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

wants,"  he  questioned,  "would  it  affect 
your  profits  in  the  matter?" 

"It  wouldn't  make  them  any  less;"  the 
old  man  admitted.  "It  might  make  them 
greater,  even.  If  he  had  come  to  me  when 
I  was  in  need  of  him — that  is,  when  he 
thought  I  was — I'd  have  accepted.  Now, 
I  won't!" 

"When  do  you  start  for  Chicago  again, 
Jack?"  Lathrop  inquired,  calmly  chang- 
ing the  subject,  to  the  evident  relief  of 
Trevor,  and  to  the  surprise  of  Millington. 

"On  the  midnight — it's  ten,  now." 

"Shall  we  stroll  up  to  the  club  first?" 

"Yes,  if  you  like.  Shall  we  go  at  once, 
Morris?  I'm  very  sorry  over  you  deci- 
sion, Trevor.  If  you  change  your  mind, 
wire  me.  I'll  be  at  the  Chicago  Club. 
Good-night." 

"Good-night,  sir,"  the  financier  replied, 
without  geniality. 

"Good-night,  pater,"  Lathrop  said, 
82 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

with  an  affectionate  smile.  "I'll  see  you 
early  to-morrow." 

Then,  the  two  younger  men  went  out  of 
Ihe  house  together,  and  strolled  up  the 
avenue.  Lathrop  felt  a  peculiar  elation 
because  of  the  interview  that  had  just 
taken  place,  for  it  assured  him  that 
Millington  had  discovered  nothing,  and 
that  George  Trevor  had  not  mentioned  the 
nature  of  the  securities  he  had  deposited 
that  day,  and,  too,  he  thought  that  he  now 
saw  a  way  out  of  his  dilemma,  for  the  part- 
nership agreement  was  in  his  pocket,  and 
he  was  positive  that  he  could  induce  Tre- 
vor to  accept  the  aid  of  the  young  finan- 
cier. This  done,  surely  he  could  so  direct 
matters  that  there  need  be  no  fear  lest  his 
crime  be  exposed. 

Unfortunately,  he  forgot  that  it  was 
not  Jack  Millington,  but  the  father  who 
owned  the  stolen  securities.  The  reckon- 
ing, if  reckoning  there  were,  must  be  with 
83 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

the  elder  Millington,  not  with  the 
younger.  Later  on,  this  fact  was  to  be 
borne  in  on  him  with  crushing  force. 

"Jack,"  he  said,  as  they  were  walking 
along  together,  "you  have  come  about  as 
near  making  an  ass  of  yourself  as  your 
own  father  could  wish." 

"Eh?  How  is  that?"  was  the  aston- 
ished and  indignant  query. 

"Well,  then,"  Lathrop  demanded,  "will 
you  tell  me  why  you  didn't  ask  me  last 
night  to  do  this  thing  for  you?" 

"Why,  because  I  didn't  think  of  it," 
Millington  answered. 

"But,  if  you  had  thought  of  it,'?  Lath- 
rop asserted,  "you  would  not  have  asked 
me." 

"Perhaps  not,"  his  friend  admitted. 
"Besides,"  he  added  naively,  "we  thought 
that  we  had  him.  But  anyhow,  you  can 
persuade  him,  Morris,  if  you  want  to.  I 
saw  the  old  man  look  at  you  as  though  he 
feared  that  you  might  insist  on  his  taking 
84 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

me  in.  I  am  sure  that,  if  you  had  insisted, 
he  would  have  done  it." 
^  "Well,  to  tell  you  the  truth,"  Lathrop 
said  thoughtfully,  "I  think  that  I  can  ac- 
complish it  for  you.  I  shall  undertake  to 
do  it  while  you  are  away.  Now,  how  can 
I  get  hold  of  the  million  which  you  prom- 
ised him,  if  he  should  wish  to  take  it? 
According  to  my  memoranda,  there  is 
not  that  much  in  your  own  particular 
strong-box  at  the  Westmoreland." 

"My  dear  fellow,"  Millington  cried, 
jovially,  "you  haven't  the  keys  to  all  my 
strong-boxes,  as  you  call  them.  There  are 
others !  If  the  thing  comes  to  a  head,  wire 
me  the  one  word,  "Correct."  Within  a 
couple  of  hours,  you  will  have  the  money 
delivered  to  you.  .  .  .  And  let  me 
add,  Morris:  if  you  can  do  this  thing  for 
me,  there  is  nothing  I  will  not  do  for  you, 
in  return." 

At  this  statement  from  the  friend  whom 
he  had  betrayed,  Lathrop's  heart  jumped. 
85 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

There  was  a  note  of  solemnity  in  his  voice 
when  he  spoke  again: 

"Jack,"  he  said  softly,  "that  is  a  prom- 
ise of  which,  sometime,  I  ma^  remind 
you!" 

In  the  billiard  room  of  the  club,  they 
encountered  Chapman,  who  nodded  to 
Millington,  but  passed  Lathrop  without 
a  glance. 

"What  is  the  matter  between  you  two?" 
Millington  asked,  curiously. 

"Nothing;  only  I  discovered  that 
Chapman  is  a  cad — and  I  told  him  of  it." 

"Humph!"  was  his  friend's  comment. 
"Well,  in  my  opinion,  he  is  a  dangerous 
one.  He's  sly,  that  fellow.  He'd  knife 
you  in  the  back  in  a  minute,  if  nobody  was 
looking." 

The  two  were  soon  busily  engaged  in 
a  game,  neither  paying  the  slightest  at- 
tention to  those  at  the  adjoining  table, 
until  the  loud  tones  of  Chapman,  who  was 
86 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

evidently  telling  an  interesting  story,  be- 
came insistently  distinct. 

-  Prettiest  girl  in  New  York,"  he  was 
saying.  "I  didn't  suppose  Lathrop  had 
such  good  taste.  And,  by  the  same  token, 
one  would  suppose  that  she  would  have 
had  better.  A  regular  little  Spanish 
beauty,  with  big,  black  eyes  and  luscious 
lips— ah!" 

Morris  Lathrop  had  placed  his  cue  on 
the  table,  and  he  now  stood  transfixed,  his 
face  as  white  as  the  ball  he  had  been  knock- 
ing about.  Those  who  were  listening  to 
the  story  eyed  him  uneasily,  but  Chapman 
stood  with  back  toward  him,  talking  on  in 
the  same  loud  voice,  as  though  unaware 
of  the  presence  of  the  man  whose  affairs  he 
was  discussing. 

"You'd  have  been  amused  to  witness  his 
indignation  when  I  asked  him  who  the 
charmer  was,"  he  continued.  "He  gave 
me  the  stony  glare  like  a  tragedian,  and 
walked  away  in  a  huff.  However,  I  stole 
87 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

a  march  on  him,  for  I  followed  her  and 
found  out  who  she  was,  where  she  lived 
and  all  about  her.  Then,  I  waited  a  while, 
and  sent  up  my  card." 

"Did  she  receive  you?"  somebody  who 
had  not  noticed  Lathrop,  inquired. 

"Indeed,  she  did!  I  wrote  on  the  back 
of  the  card,  'A  friend  of  Morris's,'  and  she 
had  me  up  at  once.  I  tell  you,  it's  a  smart 
establishment.  Nothing  is  too  good  for 
that  Seventy-ninth  street  apartment,  and, 
if  the  senorita  was  beautiful  on  the  street, 
she  was  adorable  at  home. 

"  'Did  Morris  send  you?'  she  asked.  I 
was  a  bit  puzzled  at  that;  but,  finally  I 
made  a  clean  breast  of  the  matter,  and 
said,  'No.'  I  confessed  that  I  had  seen 
her  with  him,  and  that  I  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  follow  her  home.  You 
ought  to  have  seen  her  eyes  blaze  then. 
She—" 

He  ceased  suddenly,  for  Morris  Lath- 
88 


A  MILLIONAIRE'S  PROMISE 

rop  stood  before  him,  his  face  white  and 
set,  his  eyes  glittering  dangerously. 
-  "Go  on,"  Lathrop  said,  quietly. 
"What  did  she  do  then?  Relate  your 
scoundrelism  to  the  end.  What  did  she 
do  then?" 

Chapman  laughed  boisterously,  but  the 
laughter  was  forced. 

"I  didn't  know  that  you  were  here,"  he 
sneered,  "or  I  might  have  kept  the  story 
till  later." 

"Finish  it  now,"  the  other  commanded. 

"Well,  if  you  will  have  it,  she  kissed 
me—" 

He  got  no  further.  Lathrop  took  one 
step  forward,  his  fist  shot  out;  Chapman, 
smitten  on  the  point  of  his  chin,  went  down 
upon  the  floor,  several  feet  away,  and  lay 
there,  quivering. 

Lathrop  turned  away,  wiped  his  hands 
upon  his  handkerchief,  donned  his  coat, 
and  without  a  glance  at  the  still  senseless 
89 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

Chapman,  whom  nobody  had  approached, 
faced  the  members  of  the  club  who  were 
in  the  billiard  room. 

"Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "my  resignation 
from  this  club  dates  from  to-night.  I  re- 
gret that  I  was  compelled  to  break  an 
inviolate  rule.  Come,  Jack;  let's  go." 


90 


CHAPTER  VIII 

CLAEITA   ORTEGA   AT   HOME 

44  "TACK,"  Lathrop  said,  when  the 
^J  two  friends  reached  the  street, 
"you  have  an  hour  and  a  half,  or  a  little 
more  before  your  train  goes.  I  want  you 
to  go  to  Seventy-ninth  street  with  me. 
Will  you  do  it?" 

"Certainly;  but  why  do  you  want  me?" 
"I  want  to  show  you  the  woman  whom 
Chapman  insulted.  If  ever  there  was  a 
soul  without  guile,  here  is  one.  I  want 
you  to  know  it.  It  is  necessary,  now, 
that  somebody  besides  myself  should  know 
about  her." 

He  had  hailed  a  cab  while  they  were 
talking,  and  they  got  in  and  were  driven 
away. 

91 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Isn't  it  rather  late  to  make  a  call, 
Morris?"  asked  Millington,  presently. 

"No;  I  often  go  as  late  as  this.  Jack, 
if  that  scoundrel  ever  refers  to  her  again, 
I'll  kiU  him.  I  felt  like  it  to-night." 

"You  looked  like  it,  certainly,"  Milling- 
ton  declared.  "Jove!  I  didn't  know  you 
could  be  such  a  demon,  old  man." 

"I  know  it  only  too  well,"  was  Lathrop's 
moody  rejoinder.  "I  am  more  afraid  of 
myself  than  of  any  man  living.  I  in- 
herit strength  and  a  horrible  temper, 
which,  until  to-night,  I  thought  I  had 
learned  to  subdue.  When  I  lose  it,  a 
devil  possesses  me." 

Nothing  more  was  said  until  they  stood 
together  in  front  of  the  house,  where 
Lathrop  opened  the  vestibule  door  with  a 
key,  and  gave  the  electric  button  inside  a 
series  of  regulated  touches.  The  inner 
door  swung  open  instantly,  and  they 
passed  inside  to  the  stairway,  mounted 
92 


CLARITA  ORTEGA  AT  HOME 

one  flight,  and  found  Clarita  awaiting 
them  at  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

If  she  felt  surprised  when  she  dis- 
covered that  Morris  was  not  alone,  she 
said  nothing  of  it,  but  quietly  led  the  way 
into  the  parlor,  which  was  brilliantly- 
lighted. 

"  'Rita,"  said  Lathrop,  "this  gentleman 
is  one  of  my  most  trusted  friends,  Mr. 
Millington.  Jack,  let  me  present  you  to 
Miss  Ortega." 

Then,  for  an  instant  he  stared  at  his 
friend  in  astonishment,  inasmuch  as  Mil- 
lington became  suddenly  as  awkward  as 
an  uncouth  boy.  For  some  moments 
after  the  introduction  was  uttered,  he  did 
not  move.  Finally,  however,  he  bowed 
and  extended  his  hand.  His  face  was  as 
red  as  a  peony. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  confused- 
ly. "I — I  think  I  was — er — surprised!" 
Then,  he  became  silent  again,  still  staring,. 
93 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

nor  did  he  regain  his  composure  until  after 
they  had  left  the  house. 

"Has  a  man  named  Chapman  been  here 
to-night,  'Rita?"  Lathrop  asked  at  once, 
thus  relieving  the  strain  and  permitting 
Millington  to  drop  into  a  chair,  where  he 
continued  to  stare,  though  evidently  mak- 
ing a  heroic  effort  not  to  do  so. 

"Yes,  oh,  yes;"  was  the  impetuous  an- 
swer, "and  another  man,  too.  What  does 
it  mean?  Are  you  in  trouble,  Morris?" 

"I  in  trouble?  No.  Another  man, 
you  say?  Who — ah!"  He  recalled,  then, 
what  Edna  had  said  to  him.  "Tell  me 
about  both  of  them,"  he  continued. 

The  girl  tapped  one  of  her  little  feet 
impatiently  on  the  carpet  while  she  re- 
plied to  him,  and  it  was  plain  that  she  was 
still  angry. 

"The  first  one — the  one  whom  you  call 

Chapman — came    soon    after    I    arrived 

home.     He  sent  up  a  card  by  the  hall  boy, 

and  he  had  written  upon  it  that  he  came 

94 


CLARITA  ORTEGA  AT  HOME 

from  you.  I  thought  it  strange;  but,  of 
course,  I  admitted  him.  Then — all!  I 
cannot  tell  you ! — he  was  insulting.  Marie 
was  out — I  was  alone.  I  ordered  him  to 
leave  the  house,  but  he  would  not.  He 
tried  to  seize  me — he  meant  to — to — kiss 
me — he  said  so!  I  fled  into  the  other 
room,  and  locked  the  door.  He  rapped 
upon  it,  but  I  did  not  answer,  and  then, 
after  a  few  moments,  he  went  away, 
laughing." 

Millington  bounded  from  his  chair,  and 
strode  up  and  down  the  room. 

"The  scoundrel!  The  infernal  scoun- 
drel!" he  muttered.  "I'll  settle  with 
him!" 

"That  is  already  done,  in  part,"  Lath- 
rop  said,  quietly.  "Now,  'Rita,  the  other 
man;  tell  me  about  him." 

"Oh,  the  other!"   the   girl  exclaimed. 

"He  came  soon  after  the  first  one  had 

gone.     The  boy  brought  up  word  that  the 

man  wished  to  speak  with  me.     He  sent 

95 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

no  name.  I  said  that  I  would  see  nobody, 
and  that  he  was  not  to  admit  anyone,  or  to 
bring  any  more  messages  to  me.  After- 
ward, I*  called  to  him  and  asked  him  if  it 
was  the  same  man  who  came  the  first  time, 
and  he  said  no,  it  was  not.  That  is  all. 
Who  is  that  Mr.  Chapman?  Surely  he  is 
no  friend  of  yours,  Morris !" 

"Certainly  not!"  Lathrop  declared. 
"But  I  am  afraid,  little  girl,  that  you  will 
have  to  move  again.  I  am  sorry,  but  it  is 
necessary,  'Rita." 

"I  like  this  place  so  much!"  she  sighed. 

"I  know,  dear,  but  there  are  others  just 
as  good,"  Lathrop  urged.  "I'll  find  one 
in  the  morning  and — " 

"Look  here,  Morris,"  his  friend  inter- 
rupted. "I've  got  just  the  thing  for  you 
— just  what  you  want;  it's  in  the  Milling- 
ton — that's  on  Central  Park  West,  Miss 
Ortega,  and  it  belongs  to  me.  The  pleas- 
antest  apartment  in  the  whole  house — on 
the  top  floor,  you  know — is  vacant.  You 
96 


CLARITA  ORTEGA  AT  HOME 

shall  have  it.     Here !     I'll  write  the  order 
now." 

He  took  out  his  note-book,  dashed  off 
the  order  and  passed  it  to  Lathrop.  Then, 
he  looked  at  his  watch,  and  sprang  to  his 
feet,  exclaiming: 

"I  must  go,  if  I'm  to  catch  that  train. 
Good-night,  Miss  Ortega.  I  hope  that 
Morris  will  let  me  come  again  some  time.'* 
And  he  hurried  to  the  door,  followed  in 
more  leisurely  fashion  by  his  friend. 

The  ride  down-town  was  a  silent  affair, 
and  they  were  nearly  at  the  station  before 
either  spoke  to  the  other.  Then,  Milling- 
ton,  with  marked  hesitation,  said : 

"Some  day,  old  man,  when  you  feel  like 
it,  will  you  tell  me  something  about  Miss 
Ortega?" 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  answered,  simply. 

There  was  silence  again  until  the  cab 
turned  into  Forty-second  street  and  was 
nearing  the  station,  when  Millington 
spoke  again. 

97 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"I  thought  you  were  going  to  marry 
one  of  Trevor's  daughters,"  he  said. 

"I  am,"  was  the  reply. 

Millington  made  no  comment,  but,  after 
a  little  interval,  changed  the  subject: 

"By  the  way,"  he  said,  "I  hadn't  re- 
membered to  ask  you:  Did  you  attend 
to  those  matters  for  me  to-day?" 

"Every  one  of  them,"  Lathrop  declared. 
Then,  as  the  cab  halted,  and  Millington 
got  out,  he  extended  his  hand.  "Good 
luck  to  you,"  he  added.  "And,  Jack,  I'd 
like  to  give  you  a  bit  of  advice." 

"What  is  it?" 

"Don't  think  too  much  about  Clarita 
Ortega  while  you  are  away.  She  is  not 
for  you,  unless — 

"Well,  unless  what?"  Millington  de- 
manded eagerly  as  Lathrop  hesitated. 

"I'll  complete  that  sentence  when  you 
return,"  was  the  unsatisfactory  answer. 
"Good-night." 

They  clasped  hands  and  parted,  one  to 
98 


CLARITA  ORTEGA  AT  HOME 

run  for  his  train,  having  barely  time  to 
get  through  the  door  before  it  was  closed, 
and  the  other  to  ride  on  with  bowed  head 
and  scowling  brow,  disgusted  with  him- 
self for  what  he  had  done  that  day,  har- 
assed, troubled,  contemptuous,  but,  never- 
theless, inflexible  in  his  resolution  to  play 
his  scoundrel's  game  to  the  end. 

"If  I  had  carried  out  my  resolve  to  kill 
myself,"  he  mused,  "I  should  have  died 
with  a  conscience  as  untroubled  as  the  sur- 
face of  a  woodland  spring.  Now,  if  I 
lived  a  thousand  years,  I  should  never  re- 
gain what  I  have  lost — my  self-respect. 
I  may  live  to  square  myself  with  others: 
I  can  never  square  myself  with  myself. 
The  world  may  not  know  what  I  have 
done,  but  I  know  it,  and  that  is  infinitely 
worse!" 


99 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  HAND  THAT  STABS 

IN  the  week  that  followed,  Lathrop 
did  not  once  call  at  the  Trevors',  al- 
though he  spent  a  portion  of  his  time  daily 
in  the  office  of  the  financier.  He  could 
not  bring  himself  to  go  to  the  house,  for 
he  felt  that  he  could  not  look  into  the  clear, 
earnest  eyes  of  Carla  Trevor  without  re- 
vealing within  his  own  the  guilt  which 
weighed  down  his  spirit.  Moreover,  he 
had  been  very  busy.  The  plot  hatched  in 
the  early  hours  of  the  morning  when  Jack 
Millington  was  called  to  Chicago,  was  be- 
ginning to  unfold  itself,  and  now  Lathrop 
discovered,  to  his  vast  astonishment,  that 
he  possessed  a  real  aptitude  for  business. 
A  genuine  zest  for  it  thrilled  in  his  blood : 
his  brain  grappled  easily  with  all  the  prob- 
100 


THE  HAND  THAT  STABS 

lems  offered,  and  mastered  them.  Cum- 
mings  had  snapped  at  the  bait  thrown  out 
to  him,  and  had  swallowed  it  greedily,  so 
that  it  was  now  but  a  matter  of  days  ere 
the  forecast  made  by  Millington  would  be- 
come a  fact.  Yet,  despite  his  devotion  to 
the  manoeuvres  in  behalf  of  his  friend, 
Lathrop's  mind  held  continually  in  its  re- 
cesses the  hateful  consciousness  of  his 
infamy  in  the  matter  of  the  stolen  securi- 
ties. His  one  dominant  anxiety  was  to 
regain  possession  of  these,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  replaced  in  the  vaults  of  the 
safe-deposit  company  before  the  return  of 
Millington. 

Then,  one  morning,  he  received  a  note 
from  Carla  Trevor,  in  which  she  requested 
him  to  call  on  her  that  afternoon,  at  four 
o'clock.  At  exactly  that  hour,  he  was 
ushered  into  the  drawing-room  of  the  fin- 
ancier's mansion.  There,  standing  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  awaiting  him,  was 
Edna. 

101 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Smith,"  she  said  composedly  to  the 
butler,  "y°u  need  not  take  Mr.  Lathrop's 
card  to  Miss  Trevor  just  yet.  I  wish  to 
talk  with  him  for  a  few  moments  before 
by  sister  comes  down." 

"Why,  Edna,"  Lathrop  said,  with  an 
air  of  raillery  before  the  servant,  "y°u 
seem  very  much  the  woman  of  business 
this  afternoon."  Then,  when  the  butler 
had  left  the  room,  he  continued  curiously : 

"How  did  you  know  that  I  was  coming 
at  this  time?" 

"I  didn't  know  it.  I  saw  you  from  the 
window.  But  I  should  have  gone  to  your 
rooms  again  this  evening,  if  you  had  not 
come  here  to-day." 

"You  must  not  do  that,  Edna,"  he  re- 
plied. "It  is  not  at  all  the  proper  thing 
to  do." 

"It  is  just  as  proper  for  me  as  it  is  for 
that — that  black-eyed  woman  whom  I 
found  there." 

"That  is  quite  true,  Edna,"  Lathrop 
102 


THE  HAND  THAT  STABS 

admitted;  "but,  you  see,  it  is  wrong  for 
either  of  you." 

"Morris,  who — I"  the  girl  began,  im- 
p£tuously.  But  she  checked  herself. 
"No,  I  won't  ask  you  who  she  is !  I  don't 
care  who  she  is !  .  .  .  I — I  wanted  to 
see  you — before  you  saw  Carla.  You  will 
think  that  I  have  told  her,  but,  indeed,  I 
have  not.  I  never  meant  to  tell  her,  at  all. 
I  told  you  I  would,  but  I  did  not  mean 
it  when  I  said  it." 

"I  never  really  thought  that  you  would 
tell,"  Lathrop  said,  gently,  "unless  you  did 
it  while  you  were  very  angry — and  your 
anger  never  lasts  long.  It  really  would 
not  have  mattered  if  you  had  told,  how- 
ever. You  must  not  think  ill  of  that  girl, 
Edna,  for  she  is  as  pure  and  sweet  and 
good  as  you  are,  as  Carla  is,  as  any  human 
being  can  be." 

"Do  —  you  —  love  her  —  Morris?" 
Womanly  curiosity  forced  the  words  from 
Edna's  lips.  She  went  closer  to  him  as 
103 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

she  asked  the  question,  and  her  face  was 
set  and  white.  Her  big  eyes,  wide-open 
and  searching,  looked  earnestly  into  his 
own. 

He  replied  without  hesitation : 

"Yes,  Edna,  I  love  her  very  dearly, 
just  as  I  love  you  very  dearly,  but  not  at 
all  in  the  sense  you  mean.  It  would 
please  me  more  than  I  can  say,  if  you 
would  let  me  take  you  to  call  upon  her 
some  day.  You  know,  I  would  not  do 
that—" 

"Where  does  she  live  now?"  Edna  in- 
terrupted. "She  has  moved." 

"Yes,  she  has  moved,"  Lathrop  said. 
"If  I  tell  you  her  address,  will  you 
promise  to  keep  it  a  secret?" 

"Why?" 

"Never  mind  why;  will  you  promise?" 

"Yes,"  Edna  agreed,  after  a  moment 
of  reflection. 

"She  is  at  the  Millington,  Central  Park 
West.  .  .  .  And  now,  Edna,  had  you 
104 


THE  HAND  THAT  STABS 

not  better  send  my  card  up  to  Carla? 
She  is  expecting  me." 

"'Oh,  Morris!"  the  girl  exclaimed,  in  dis- 
may. "I  had  forgotten  the  very  thing  I 
meant  to  tell  you.  Carla  knows." 

"Knows  what?"  Lathrop  questioned. 

"That — that  Miss  Ortega  goes  to  your 
rooms.  Wait ;  let  me  tell  you  all  about  it. 
That  man  whom  I  hired  to  follow  her — he 
was  a  cab-driver,  and  I  gave  him  ten 
dollars  for  his  dirty  work — came  here  to 
report  to  me,  as  I  told  him  to  do.  Carla 
was  on  the  steps  outside,  and,  when  he 
asked  for  Miss  Trevor  of  course  she  said 
she  was  the  one;  and  he,  stupid!  didn't 
know  the  difference.  She  heard  his  story 
through,  and  then  she  came  to  me,  and, 
naturally,  I  had  to  confess  the  whole 
thing.  Then,  the  very  next  afternoon  she 
received  an  anonymous  letter  written  on 
the  stationery  of  your  club,  and — oh,  it 
was  terrible!" 

"Carla  would  pay  no  attention  to  an 
105 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

anonymous  letter,"  Lathrop  cried  con- 
temptuously. 

"Not  to  an  ordinary  one;  but  this  was 
different,"  Edna  explained.  It  began  by 
saying  that  the  writer  was  a  member  of 
your  club,  and  an  intimate  friend  of  yours. 
It  gave,  as  an  excuse  for  the  letter,  the 
statement  that  he  was  under  great  obliga- 
tions to  papa,  and  therefore  regarded  it 
as  a  duty  to  warn  his  daughter.  It  was 
beautifully  written  and  perfectly  told;  it 
gave  a  thousand  and  one  excuses  for  you, 
and  begged  Carla  not  to  regard  the  matter 
too  seriously.  But  underneath  all  that 
stuff  and  nonsense  were  the  vilest  insinua- 
tions. .  ,.  .It  was  terrible!" 

"Is  there  anything  more,  Edna?"  La- 
throp demanded,  quietly. 

"Yes,  there  is,"  the  girl  faltered. 

"Well,  let's  have  it  all,"  the  young  man 
urged ;  there  was  impatience  in  his  tone. 

"The  evening  before  last,  Mr.  Chap- 
man called  here,"  Edna  announced.  "You 
106 


THE  HAND  THAT  STABS 

know,  he  has  been  here  once  or  twice  with 
Mr.  Courtright.  Well,  this  time  he  came 
alone,  and  I  only  wished  he  had  stayed 
away.  I  don't  know  how  it  happened, 
but,  before  he  went,  he  mentioned  having 
seen  you  at  the  Waldorf  and  other  places 
several  times  this  week,  with  a  lady  whom 
he  described  so  perfectly  that  there  was  no 
mistaking  her;  Carla  recognized  her  at 
once." 

"How  could  she  do  that?"  Lathrop 
was  genuinely  amazed. 

"Oh!"  Edna  exclaimed.  "Didn't  I  tell 
you  that  the  anonymous  letter  contained 
a  photograph  of  Miss  Ortega?  Well,  it 
did,  and  a  good  one,  too." 

"What  more,  Edna?"  Lathrop's  voice 
came  wearily  now. 

"Nothing  more ;  only,  Carla  has  been  ill 
ever  since.  It  was  the  last  straw.  I 
think,  if  you  had  come  around  sooner,  it 
would  have  been  all  right,  but  you  re- 
mained away  so  long  that  she  had  to  send 
107 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

for  you;  and  now—        She  paused  sud- 
denly, staring  in  the  direction  of  the  door. 

Lathrop,  turning  to  discover  what  it 
was  that  had  arrested  her  speech,  per- 
ceived Carla,  who  had  entered  the  room  un- 
heard, and  now  stood  motionless,  gazing 
upon  her  lover  and  her  sister  with  scorn- 
ful eyes.  Even  in  his  perturbation  of  the 
moment,  Lathrop  was  stirred  to  wonder- 
ing delight  before  the  spell  of  her  delicate 
loveliness.  Her  own  mood  of  indignation 
had  caused  her  to  assume  unconsciously  a 
pose  of  tense  erectness,  which  displayed 
the  slender  elegance  of  her  form  to  its  full 
perfection.  Her  angry  pride  was  re- 
vealed in  the  haughty  poise  of  her  head,  in 
the  darkening  violet  of  her  eyes. 

"It  seems,  Morris,  that  my  sister  has  an- 
ticipated me,"  she  said,  coldly.  "I  heard 
only  the  last  sentence  of  your  conversation, 
however.  So,  now,  Edna,  if  you  will  ex- 
cuse us,  I  should  like  to  talk  with  Morris 
alone  for  a  little." 

108 


THE  HAND  THAT  STABS 

She  did  not  speak  again,  until  Edna  had 
left  the  room.  Then,  she  turned  at  once, 
and  confronted  her  fiance. 

"Morris,"  she  demanded  resolutely, 
"why  is  it  that,  for  more  than  a  week,  you 
have  not  been  to  see  me  ?"  And  she  added, 
unfalteringly:  "Is  there  a  greater  attrac- 
tion somewhere  else?" 

"I  have  been  very  busy,"  Lathrop  re- 
plied, with  some  embarrassment.  "With 
two  exceptions,  I  have  not  been  out  of  my 
rooms  an  evening  since  I  was  here." 

"That  is  an  answer  to  only  one  of  my 
questions,"  Carla  retorted.  There  was  a 
hint  of  bitterness  now  in  her  voice. 

Lathrop  frowned. 

"The  other  question  needs  no  answer 
from  me,"  he  said,  grimly.  "You  should 
not  have  asked  it." 

"Perhaps  not,"  his  betrothed  admitted, 
with  a  wan  smile.  "Nevertheless,  I  have 
asked  it."  She  sighed  heavily,  and  hesi- 
tated for  a  moment.  Then,  with  straight- 
109 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

forward  frankness,  she  demanded.  "Will 
you  tell  me  about  Miss  Ortega?  There  is 
such  a  person,  I  believe." 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  said.  The  reluctance 
in  his  voice  was  plainly  manifest, 

"Well,  will  you  tell  me  about  her?" 
Carla  persisted. 

"I  am  not  at  liberty  to  tell  you  much 
concerning  her,"  was  the  reply. 

A  deeper  red  flamed  in  the  cheeks  of  the 
girl  at  her  lover's  utterance,  and  her  eyes 
flashed  ominously. 

"Not  much  that  you  can  tell  me!"  she 
repeated,  slowly.  "Morris,  I  do  not  un- 
derstand what  you  mean.  Is  it,  perhaps, 
that  this  is  not  a  fit  subject  for  us  to  dis- 
cuss?" 

"God  forbid!"  Lathrop  exclaimed, 
aghast  at  the  implied  taunt.  "You  must 
not  wrong  Clarita  in  that  way,  Carla. 
Indeed,  she  only  came  to  my  room  as 
Edna,  your  sister  came — just  as  inno- 
cently. It  is  most  unfortunate  that  you 
110 


THE  HAND  THAT  STAES 

should  have  come  to  know  of  her  existence 
at  this  time.  I  had  intended,  soon,  to  ask 
you  to  call  upon  her.  Surely,  surely, 
Carla,  you  cannot  dou|>t  mel" 


111 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   BROKEN   ENGAGEMENT 

CAULA  TREVOR  did  not  at  once 
reply  to  the  question  that  Lathrop 
asked.  Instead,  she  kept  her  eyes  fixed 
upon  her  lover's  face,  in  the  meantime 
turning  her  engagement  ring  on  her  fin- 
ger, as  though  it  had  something  to  do  with 
the  character  of  her  thoughts.  There  was 
no  anger  in  her  voice  or  in  her  eyes,  but 
suffering  was  manifest  in  both.  At  last, 
she  answered  him. 

"Just  so  long  as  this  ring  remains  upon 
my  finger,  I  will  not  doubt  you.  Still,  I 
believe  that  you  owe  me  some  sort  of  an 
explanation.  I  would  not  have  you  think 
me  jealous,  for  I  could  not  permit  our 
relations  to  continue  if  there  existed  any 
cause  for  such  an  emotion.  But  I  shall 
112 


THE  BROKEN  ENGAGEMENT 

ask  you  the  question:  Does  there  exist 
such  a  cause?" 

"No,  Carla,  there  does  not,"  Lathrop 
answered,  with  emphasis. 

The  girl  hesitated  again,  for  a  moment ; 
then,  she  quietly  extended  a  photograph 
toward  him. 

"Is  that  Miss  Ortega?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,"  was  the  answer. 

"That  picture  came  in  a  letter  I  re- 
ceived concerning  her — and  you!" 

"Edna  told  me  about  it,"  Lathrop  said, 
as  she  paused.  "I  believe  that  this  picture 
was  stolen  from  her  parlor  while  she  was 
locked  in  another  room  in  her  apartment, 
to  which  she  had  fled  to  escape  the  man, 
who  forced  his  way  into  her  presence.  He 
must  have  taken  it  at  that  time.  I  can  ac- 
count for  his  possession  of  it  in  no  other 
way." 

"Then,  you  know  who  wrote  the  anony- 
mous letter,"  Carla  exclaimed. 

"Certainly!  It  was  written,  doubtless, 
113 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

by  the  man  who  called  upon  you  later — 
Chapman.  Shall  I  tell  you  the  story?" 

"No,  it  is  unnecessary  that  you  should," 
the  girl  answered,  disdainfully.  "Tell 
me,  rather,  about  Miss  Ortega.  What  re- 
lation does  she  bear  to  you?" 

"She  is,  in  a  sense,  my  ward,"  Lathrop 
made  the  statement  with  evident  reluc- 
tance. ...  "I  shall  tell  you  all  that 
it  is  permitted  me  to  tell,  at  the  present 
time.  For  the  rest,  you  must  have  faith 
in  me,  dearest." 

"Faith  is  spontaneous,  Morris,"  the  girl 
retorted.  "It  cannot  be  compelled  by  the 
will.  As  for  that,  I  have  faith  now,  Mor- 
ris— at  least,  I  think  I  have.  I  know  that 
I  do  not  wish  to  lose  it.  Whether  I  am 
to  do  so,  or  not,  rests  with  you.  .  .  . 
Has  this  ward  of  yours  no  relatives — no 
father,  no  mother,  no  friends?" 

"At  present,"  was  the  answer,  "she  has 
no  one  besides  myself." 

"No  one  besides  yourself!"  Carla  re- 
114 


THE  BROKEN  ENGAGEMENT 

peated,  incredulously.  "Then,  pray,  what 
is  your  relation  to  her  ?  You  have  charge 
of  her  fortune,  perhaps?  For  she  has  an 
income  of  her  own,  I  suppose." 

"She  has  an  income — yes,"  Lathrop  de- 
clared hastily. 

Something  in  the  manner  of  the  young 
man's  reply  provoked  his  fiancee's  suspi- 
cion. 

"Who  provides  that  income?"  she  in- 
quired, crisply.  "Is  it  you,  Morris?" 

"She  believes  it  comes  from  property 
left  to  her  by  her  father,"  was  the  evasion. 

But  the  girl  refused  to  be  content  by 
this  indirectness. 

"Morris,"  she  said,  gravely  persistent, 
"is  this  income  of  Miss  Ortega's  really 
paid  to  her  out  of  money  provided  for  that 
purpose  by  you?" 

Before  such  tenacity  of  purpose,  La- 
throp found  himself  helpless,  and  he  bowed 
his  head  in  assent.  Afterward,  for  a  little 
time,  there  was  silence  between  the  two. 
115 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

But,  presently,  the  lover  spoke  again, 
softly,  pleadingly: 

"Carla,  is  it  necessary  to  go  into  these 
details?" 

The  answer  was  rigidly  uncompromis- 
ing: 

"I  regard  it  as  quite  necessary.  Will 
you  tell  me  how  long  this  condition  of 
things  has  existed?" 

"For  several  years — about  four.  If 
you  will  listen,  I  will  tell  you  all  that  can 
be  told — now." 

"I  will  listen." 

"The  obligation  came  to  me  in  a  strange 
manner,  and  I  accepted  a  duty,  fully  re- 
alizing what  I  was  undertaking,  but  con- 
vinced there  was  no  other  course  for  me 
to  pursue.  At  that  time,  Clarita  Ortega 
could  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  but 
I  brought  her  here  to  New  York,  and 
found  a  companion  for  her — an  elderly 
lady,  who  has  since  died.  I  invested  some 
money  in  government-bonds  in  her  name; 
116 


THE  BROKEN  ENGAGEMENT 

so  that,  in  case  of  accident  to  me,  she 
would  be  above  want.  So  far  as  it  has 
been  possible,  I  have  watched  over  and 
cared  for  her  ever  since;  I  shall  continue 
to  do  so  as  long  as  the  necessity  exists. 
I  can  assure  you  that  she  is  in  every  way 
entirely  worthy  of  your  respect,  even  of 
your  love.  More  than  this,  I  cannot  tell 
you,  now.  You  must  not  ask  me.  The 
truth  concerning  her  I  have  no  right  to 
reveal,  even  to  you.  Carla,  will  you  go 
with  me  to  call  on  her?" 

"Morris!"  The  girl's  tone  was  one  of 
indignant  remonstrance. 

"Well?  Is  that  not  the  best  proof  that 
I  could  give  you  of  my  sincerity?" 

Lathrop  had  been  holding  the  photo- 
'graph  in  his  hand  during  the  conversation, 
now  he  placed  it,  face  upwards,  on  a  chair 
near  him,  and,  rising,  stepped  forward 
and  stood  where  he  could  look  down  into 
the  eyes  of  his  fiancee. 

She  returned  the  gaze  steadily,  still  toy- 
117 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ing  with  the  ring  on  her  finger.  But  she 
did  not  reply  to  his  question;  instead,  she 
asked  one. 

"Is  that  all  you  will  tell  me  concerning 
her?"  she  inquired. 

"It  is  all  that  I  can  tell  you,  Carla,"  was 
the  firm  rejoinder. 

"Do  you  regard  your  duty  to  her  as 
greater  than  your  duty  to  me?" 

"I  do  not  compare  the  one  with  the 
other,  for  they  are  distinct.  Duty  is  duty ; 
it  cannot  be  modified."  , 

Her  eyes  never  left  his  face,  and  the 
question,  though  it  made  him  catch  his 
breath,  and  pressed  the  iron  into  his  soul, 
was  uttered  as  calmly  as  the  others  had 
been. 

"If  I  should  make  my  faith  in  you  de- 
pendent upon  your  telling  me  everything 
that  you  are  keeping  back  concerning  her, 
would  you  still  retain  the  attitude  you  have 
taken?  If  our  engagement  depended 
upon  your  replying  to  certain  questions 
118 


THE  BROKEN  ENGAGEMENT 

that  I  should  ask,  would  you  still  refuse 
to  answer?" 

He  turned  away  and  walked  to  the  win- 
dow, and  for  a  moment  looked  out  upon 
the  street.  Presently,  he  returned  and 
stood  before  her  again. 

"I  should  still  retain  the  attitude  I  have 
taken ;  I  should  still  refuse  to  answer,"  he 
said,  deliberately. 

Carla  withdrew  the  ring  from  her 
ringer,  slowly,  but  certainly.  It  seemed 
reluctant  to  leave  its  resting-place,  and 

% 

twice  she  hesitated.  But,  at  last,  the  re- 
moval was  effected. 

"Then,  I  must  return  this  to  you,"  she 
said,  simply.  "It  is  the  only  thing  I  can 
do  under  the  circumstances.  Perhaps,  I 
am  unjust;  if  so,  I  cannot  help  it.  Please 
take  it,  Morris." 

He  stretched  out  one  hand  silently,  and 
she  dropped  the  ring  in  his  palm.     For  a 
moment,  he  regarded  it  intently;  then, 
idly,  let  it  fall  into  one  of  his  pockets. 
119 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"As  you  will,  Carla,"  he  said,  with  a 
cold  deliberation  that  belied  the  furious 
beating  of  his  heart. 

He  bowed  then,  and  turned  toward  the 
door.  But,  before  he  had  taken  a  step, 
it  was  opened,  and  George  Trevor  entered 
the  room. 

"Ah,  Morris,"  he  said,  "Smith  told  me 
you  were  here.  I  have  just  come  in,  and 
I  am  very  anxious  to  see  you.  I  tried  in 
vain  to  get  you  over  the  telephone  this 
afternoon."  His  eyes  fell  on  the  photo- 
graph of  Clarita  Ortega,  and  he  bent  over 
it.  "Hello!  What's  this?"  he  asked, 
carelessly. 

He  reached  out  and  raised  the  photo- 
graph in  his  hand,  and  they  saw  him  give 
a  sudden  and  violent  start.  Then,  with 
quick  strides  he  went  to  the  window  where 
the  light  was  better,  while  with  trembling 
hands  he  held  the  photograph  so  that  he 
could  scan  it  critically. 

"No,  no!"  he  exclaimed,  under  his 
120 


THE  BROKEN  ENGAGEMENT 

breath.  "No!  It  is  impossible!"  He 
turned  the  picture  over  and  saw  the  name 
of  the  photographer  on  the  back ;  then,  he 
studied  the  face  again. 

"It  was  taken  here  in  New  York,  and 
quite  recently.  No;  it  cannot  be  the 
same,"  he  continued,  uttering  his  thoughts 
aloud. 

"Carla,"  he  called  suddenly,  "whose  pic- 
ture is  this?" 

"It  is  a  photograph  of  a  friend  of  Mor- 
ris's," she  replied. 

"Who  is  it,  Morris?"  he  demanded,  still 
studying  the  picture  face. 

"Her  name  is  Clarita  Ortega;  she  is 
'Spanish,"  Morris  answered. 

"Spanish,  too,"  muttered  Trevor.  "It 
is  very  strange — very  strange!" 

"Do  you  know  who  she  is,  papa?  Have 
you  ever  met  her?"  asked  Carla. 

"No,  no,  certainly  not!"  was  the  quick 
answer.  "But  she  bears  a  striking  re- 
semblance to  a  lady  whom  I  used  to  know 
121 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

years  ago.  She  is  very  like,  indeed — very; 
like!  How  old  is  this  girl,  Morris?" 

"About  Carla's  age,"  Lathrop  replied, 
indifferently. 

"And  where  does  she  live?  Here  in 
New  York?" 

"Yes." 

"Will  you  lend  me  this  picture  till  you 
come  again?"  the  financier  demanded. 
"I  should  like  to  compare  it  with  one  that 
I  have.  The  likeness  may  not  be  so  strik- 
ing, then.  Will  you  lend  it  to  me?" 
Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  he 
whirled  about,  and  went  out  of  the  room 
hastily,  bearing  the  picture  in  his  hand. 

"Is  your  decision  unaltered,  Carla?" 
Morris  asked,  when  they  were  again  alone. 

The  girl  nodded  in  silence. 

He  did  not  wait  for  more,  but  turned 
abruptly  and  walked  from  the  room. 


122 


CHAPTER  XI 

IN  THE  MESH  OF  MISDEEDS 

AT  once,   after  leaving  the  Trevor 
mansion,  Lathrop  returned  to  his 
apartment.     As  he  caught  sight  of  his  re- 
flection in  a  mirror,  his  eyes  glinted  with 
cold  derision. 

"I  cannot  tell  Carla  everything,"  he 
mused  aloud.  "God  forbid!  Better  a 
broken  engagement  than  that — whatever 
the  heart-ache.  Yes,  better  two  broken 
hearts  than  a  revelation  of  the  whole  truth. 
I  suppose,  in  time,  we  must  both  recover 
from  the  shock  of  to-day.  But  the  knowl- 
edge of  that  other  tragedy  would  spoil  her 
life,  utterly.  And  the  poor  old  pater! 
Plow  the  sight  of  that  photograph  bowled 
him  over !  The  resemblance  must,  indeed, 
be  striking,  since  it  was  able  to  affect  him 
123 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

like  that.  And  now  he  will  question  me, 
and  I  cannot,  I  will  not,  tell  him,  for  he 
must  not  know  the  truth.  For  the  sake 
of  Carla  and  Edna,  he  must  never  know." 

The  ringing  of  the  bell  interrupted  his 
meditation.  He  went  to  the  door,  and 
opened  it  to  admit  George  Trevor.  "He 
has  come  sooner  even  than  I  expected," 
was  his  thought.  But  he  allowed  no  trace 
of  his  perturbation  to  escape  him.  On 
the  contrary,  he  greeted  his  visitor  in  a 
matter-of-fact  manner,  but  very  cordially. 

"I  went  away  hurriedly,"  he  added, 
after  they  had  shaken  hands.  "I  quite 
forgot  that  you  wished  to  see  me.  What 
was  it,  pater?" 

"Oh,  that  matter!"  the  financier  re- 
joined moodily,  as  he  seated  himself.  "It 
can  wait.  I  want  to  talk  to  you  about  an- 
other thing,  now.  .  .  .  Can  you  give 
me  some  brandy,  and  a  cigar?" 

"Certainly,  sir,"  Lathrop  replied,  and 
forthwith  he  set  forth  a  decanter  and 
124 


THE  MESH  OF  MISDEEDS 

syphon,  and  a  box  of  perfectos.  "Do  you 
know,  pater,  you  haven't  been  here  before 
in—" 

But  the  financier,  with  an  air  of  deter- 
mination, interrupted : 

"Morris,"  he  demanded,  "who  is  that 
girl?" 

"What  girl?"  came  the  disingenuous 
question. 

"That  girl  whose  picture  I  found  in  the 
drawing-room  of  my  house,"  the  banker 
explained,  eagerly.  "Who  is  she?  The 
name  tells  me  nothing.  Is  she  a  friend 
of  yours?  Do  you  know  her  people,  her 
parents?" 

The  reply  of  the  young  man  was  made 
very  deliberately: 

"I  know  her  father,  sir,"  he  said.  "I 
never  saw  her  mother." 

Trevor  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  Then,  he 
spoke,  rather  hesitatingly: 

"It  may  seem  strange  to  you,  Morris, 
that  I  should  be  so  greatly  interested  in 
125 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

this  girl.  But — well,  I  never  saw  such  a 
remarkable  likeness!" 

"Likeness  to  whom,  sir?"  Lathrop  ques- 
tioned. 

"To — a  lady — whom  I  once  knew." 
The  reply  was  made  with  evident  reluc- 
tance. "It  was  a  good  many  years  ago 
when — "  He  broke  off  the  sentence  to 
inquire :  "How  old  is  she,  Morris  ?" 

"Rather  older  than  Carla,"  Lathrop  an- 
swered, "by  two  or  three  years." 

Trevor  shook  his  head  perplexedly,  as 
he  listened  to  the  reply. 

"Perhaps,"  he  murmured  reflectively, 
"her  mother  was  a  sister  of  the  woman 
whom  I  knew.  Still,  I  never  heard  that 
she  had  a  sister.  .  .  .  Morris,"  he 
went  on,  in  a  louder  voice,  looking  up  at 
the  young  man,  "could  you  take  me  to 
call  on  this  young  lady?  I  should  like  to 
have  a  talk  with  her." 

Lathrop  did  not  reply  at  once.  In- 
126 


THE  MESH  OF  MISDEEDS 

stead,  he  continued  to  stare  fixedly  at  the 
coals  in  the  grate.  The  silence  endured 
until  Trevor  repeated  his  question,  believ- 
ing that  it  had  been  unheard. 

"Why  not?"  the  young  man  was  mus- 
ing. "I  have  had  no  hand  in  this  part  of 
the  aff air.  Why  not  let  circumstances  di- 
rect the  remainder  of  it,  as  they  have  this 
much?" 

For  the  third  time,  Trevor  asked  the 
question,  impatiently.  And,  finally,  La- 
throp  replied: 

"I  will  take  you  to  call  upon  her,"  he 
said,  somewhat  coldly.  "When  would 
you  like  to  go?" 

"Now!"  was  the  instant  response. 

"My  dear  sir,  it  is  almost  dinner-time," 
Lathrop  protested.  "Come  here  after 
you  have  dined,  and  I  will  take  you  to 
her." 

"Very  well,  then.  I  shall  be  here  at 
eight,"  the  financier  assented.  He  rose 
127 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

and  went  toward  the  door ;  but  he  paused, 
with  his  hand  on  the  knob,  to  ask  another 
question. 

"Morris,"  he  said,  "what  is  she  to  you? 
You  won't  mind  telling  me?" 

"Not  at  all,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "She 
is  my  ward." 

"Your  ward!"  Trevor  exclaimed,  in 
astonishment.  "You,  the  guardian  of  a 
girl  almost  as  old  as  you  are  yourself?" 

"Such  is  the  case,  pater,"  Lathrop  af- 
firmed, quite  unabashed. 

There  was  a  brief  silence,  which  was 
broken  by  the  broker. 

"Was  she  the  subject  of  discussion  be- 
tween you  and  Carla?" 

"Yes,"  the  young  man  admitted,  flush- 
ing. 

The  shrewd  eyes  of  the  older  man  pen- 
etrated Lathrop's  embarrassment. 

"Carla  is  jealous!  Is  that  it?"  he  de- 
manded. 

A  nod  of  assent  was  the  answer.  Then, 
128 


THE  MESH  OF  MISDEEDS 

after  a  moment,  Lathrop  said;  "you 
might  as  well  know  it  at  once,  sir.  Our 
engagement  is  at  an  end.  Carla  is  con- 
vinced in  her  own  mind  that  I  have  not 
been  sufficiently  frank  with  her.  What 
else  she  believes,  I  do  not  know.  I  am 
not  sure  that  she  herself  knows.  But — 
she  does  not  approve  of  my  relations  with 
'Rita." 

At  this  statement,  the  financier  uttered 
an  ejaculation  of  dismay,  and,  for  a  little 
time  afterward,  sat  silent,  in  frowning 
thought.  But,  of  a  sudden,  his  expres- 
sion changed  again. 

"Oh,  by  the  way!"  he  exclaimed. 
"There  is  another  thing.  Those  secur- 
ities! The  fact  of  my  having  them  has 
got  out,  somehow,  and  I  am  being  pes- 
tered to  death  about  them — everybody 
asking  questions!  I  smile,  look  wise,  and 
say  nothing!  It's  the  only  way!  Why, 
Morris,  even  the  company — the  X.  L.,  you 
know — has  been  bothering  me.  I  fancy 
129 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

that  a  cable  of  inquiry  has  been  sent  to 
Sam  Millington  himself.  But  he  will 
keep  the  matter  quiet,  won't  he?" 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir?"  Lathrop 
questioned,  bewildered  and  alarmed  by 
this  turn  of  the  conversation. 

"Why,  the  fact  that  the  stock  is  yours," 
the  financier  explained.  "Millington 
won't  spread  the  fact  broadcast,  will  he? 
I  shouldn't  like  to  have  the  news  of  it  get 
about,  now  that  I  have  made  use  of  it  as 
my  own.  It  would  betray  the  fact  that 
J  had  been  hard-pressed.  .  .  .  But 
never  mind,  just  now.  Come  down  in  the 
morning,  and  we  can  arrange  the  affair 
then.  I'm  inclined,  at  last,  to  be  sorry 
that  I  refused  young  Millington's  offer." 

"It  is  not  too  late,  yet,"  Lathrop  sug- 
gested quickly.  "If  you  say  the  word, 
I'll  manage  that.  And,  to  speak  frankly, 
sir,  I  should  be  glad  to  do  so.  Your  con- 
sent would  be  something  of  a  favor  to 
me." 

130 


THE  MESH  OF  MISDEEDS 

"The  deuce  it  would!"  the  financier 
cried.  "Why  didn't  you  say  that  before? 
You're  half -owner  with  me  in  this  thing. 
You  have  as  much  to  say  as  I  have. 
Wire  him  that  we  will  take  him  on  the 
terms  he  offered,  if  he  is  still  of  the  same 
mind." 

Forthwith,  Trevor  bustled  out  of  the 
room,  leaving  Lathrop  standing  in  the 
centre  of  it  in  anything  but  a  pleasant 
frame  of  mind,  for  he  saw  the  meshes  of 
his  misdeeds  closing  around  him,  exposure 
staring  him  in  the  face. 

"A  cable  to  Sam  Millington!"  he  mused, 
and  smiled  dismally.  "I  should  like  to 
see  him  when  he  gets  the  news!  One 
thing  is  certain:  I  must  manage  some- 
how, to  get  those  securities  out  to-morrow, 
and  return  them  to  the  vault.  But,  even 
then,  it  is  bound  to  come  out  eventually 
that  I  took  them,  for  the  superintendent 
has  the  letter  Jack  gave  me.  Well,  suf- 
ficient unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof. 
131 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

Meantime,  I  must  do  the  best  I  can,  de- 
spite the  fact  that  I  have  lost  honor  and 
love.  Why,  I  should  not  have  accepted 
my  dismissal,  had  I  been  worthy,  as  I  was 
ten  days  ago.  But  it  is  over  now !  I  only 
wish  it  were  the  end  of  all  things  for  me !" 
And,  with  this  lugubrious  aspiration,  he 
hurried  forth. 

A  few  minutes  later,  the  word  "Cor- 
rect" was  speeding  over  the  wires  to  Jack 
Millington's  Chicago  address. 


132 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

PROMPTLY  at  eight  o'clock, 
George  Trevor  appeared  at  La- 
throp's  apartment,  and  it  was  easily  ap- 
parent that  he  was  consumed  by  excite- 
ment, although  he  strove  as  best  he  could 
to  conceal  the  fact.  He  had  come  in  his 
own  carriage,  and,  when  the  young  man 
had  donned  his  overcoat,  the  two  were 
driven  rapidly  in  the  direction  of  The 
Millington,  where  Clarita  now  lived. 

They  found  the  girl  at  home  and  ex- 
pecting them,  for  Lathrop  had  sent  word 
of  their  coming.  Immediately,  her  love- 
liness of  face  and  the  splendid  purity  of 
the  dark  eyes  cast  their  spell  over  the 
financier.  Indeed,  he  fairly  gasped  for 
breath  in  the  first  moment  of  his  introduc- 
133 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

tion  to  her,  and,  after  he  had  taken  her 
slender  hand  in  his,  he  held  it  for  a  long 
time  in  a  warm  clasp,  strangely  silent  all 
the  while  as  he  stood  looking  down  on  her 
with  a  steadfast,  penetrant  gaze  that  had 
in  it  nothing  to  offend. 

"Very  like,  marvelously  like!"  he  mur- 
mured, at  last.  And  then,  without  seem- 
ing to  perceive  the  oddity  of  the  question, 
he  demanded:  "Child,  do  you  remember 
your  mother?" 

The  girl  regarded  him  in  complete  as- 
tonishment. 

"My  mother?"  she  repeated,  confusedly. 
"No,  sir,  I  do  not  remember  mj7  mother. 
I  never  saw  her,  sefior." 

"But  do  you  not  resemble  her?"  came 
the  eager  question. 

"I  do  not  know,"  Clarita  replied,  stupe- 
fied with  amazement. 

These  were,  in  sooth,  most  curious  in- 
terrogatories put  to  her  by  one  who  was 
totally  a  stranger.  Before  them,  she 
134 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

found  herself  altogether  puzzled,  even  a 
little  indignant.  She  turned  her  eyes  in- 
quiringly toward  Morris,  but  he  was  ap- 
parently deeply  occupied  by  the  pages  of 
a  book,  unheeding  what  took  place  about 
him. 

"And  your  father,  my  dear  girl? 
What  of  him?"  Trevor  asked,  tremu- 
lously. 

"I  never  saw  my  father,  sir,"  was  the 
reply.  "But  tell  me,  if  you  please,"  she 
continued,  with  sudden  courage,  "why  do 
you  seek  these  answers  from  me?" 

"You  must  pardon  me,  child,"  the  old 
man  urged,  contritely.  "But  you  look  so 
like  a  lady  whom  I  once  knew  that  I  fan- 
cied I  must  have  known  your  mother.. 
Surely,  you  have  not  lived  always  in  New 
York?  You  were  not  born  here?" 

"Oh,    no,    indeed,"    Clarita    returned,. 

readily.     "I  was  born  in  Seville,  in  Spain. 

My  childhood  was  passed  in  Cuba  and  in 

Mexico.     I  remember  Mexico  the  better, 

135 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

for  it  was  there  that  I  lived  the  greater 
part  of  the  time.  I  came  here  about  four 
years  ago."  She  gave  the  explanation 
volubly,  for  her  self-assurance  had  been 
restored  in  a  measure  by  the  visitor's  ex- 
planation of  his  inquisitiveness. 

The  girl,  as  well  as  her  questioner, 
had  remained  standing  since  the  introduc- 
tion. Now,  however,  she  withdrew  her 
hand  from  his,  and  sank  into  a  chair. 

"Will  you  tell  me  how  old  you  are, 
senorita?"  Trevor  requested,  as  he,  too, 
seated  himself. 

"I  was  twenty-three  years  old,  last 
June,"  was  the  immediate  response,  al- 
though the  girl's  eyes  widened  somewhat 
in  new  wonder  at  the  intimacy  of  this 
question.  "But  Morris,"  she  continued, 
"thinks  I  look  much  younger  than  that." 

"Yes,  you  do,"  the  financier  agreed. 
"You  are  more  of  a  child  than  Edna,  and 
she  is  only  eighteen." 

"Edna?  Ah,  yes.  She  is  your  daugh- 
136 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

ter.  I  have  seen  her."  Clarita's  brows 
contracted,  for  the  recollection  was  not  a 
pleasant  one. 

"You  have  met  Edna?"  Trevor  asked, 
in  surprise.  "Where?" 

She  hesitated,  and  then  looked  inquir- 
ingly at  Morris.  He,  however,  was  still 
studying  the  pages  before  him,  and  did 
not  appear  to  have  heard. 

"Morris  will  tell  you  about  it,"  she  said, 
at  last,  demurely.  "We  met  by  accident. 
She  did  not  like  me,  and  I  did  not  like 
her.  It  was — what  you  call — mutual. 
You  see  I  am  frank,  Senor  Trevor.  But 
I  do  not  choose  my  words  so  discreetly  in 
English." 

"Would  you  prefer  your  own  lan- 
guage?" he  said  rapidly,  in  Spanish.  "It 
is  the  same  to  me." 

"Oh,  yes!     It  is  the  language  of  my 

thoughts.     I  am  glad  that  you  understand 

it.     And  now,  sir,  can  I  not  offer  you 

some  refreshment?     I  have  been  very  re- 

137 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

miss.  You  will  have — what?  A  glass  of 
sherry?  And  a  biscuit?  Morris  will  give 
you  a  cigar.  I  do  not  object  to  the  smoke. 
And  now,  for  one  moment,  you  will  ex- 
cuse me?" 

She  went  rapidly  out  of  the  room,  leav- 
ing the  two  men  alone  together. 

"Morris,"  said  George  Trevor  then,  ris- 
ing and  crossing  the  room  and  deliberately 
taking  the  book  from  Lathrop's  hand, 
"you  told  me  you  knew  her  father.  Did 
you  speak  the  truth?" 

"I  did,"  Lathrop  declared.  His  eyes 
met  those  of  the  financier  squarely,  with  a 
challenge  in  their  depths. 

"Then,  he  is  alive?"  Trevor  suggested. 

"He  is!" 

"But  she  does  not  know  it?" 

"No." 

"Where—?"  The  old  man  left  the 
question  unfinished,  for  at  this  moment  the 
girl  reentered  the  room. 

She  went  directly  to  him,  holding  in 
138 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

her  hand  an  old-fashioned  breast-pin,  the 
size  of  a  goose's  egg.  At  sight  of  it, 
Trevor's  face  took  on  the  color  of  ashes; 
but  he  did  not  speak,  and  she  did  not 
notice  his  agitation. 

"You  asked  me  about  my  mother,"  she 
said.  "I  do  not  remember  her,  but  I  have 
here  a  portrait  which,  I  believe,  is  hers. 
Would  you  like  to  see  it?  Perhaps,  if 
you  once  knew  her,  you  will  recognize  it, 
and  assure  me  that  it  is  my  mother.  It 
might  have  been  made  for  me,  might  it 
not?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  huskily.  "It 
might,  indeed!  Can  you  tell  me  nothing 
about  her,  my  child?  Do  you  not  know 
when  she  died,  and  where  she  died?" 

"No,  sir.  I  know  nothing,"  the  girl 
replied,  sadly.  "It  is  strange,  is  it  not? 
I  do  not  even  know  her  name." 

"Do  not  know  her  name?  Was  it  not 
the  same  as  your  own?" 

"No,  oh,  no!"  came  the  eager  answer. 
139 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"My  name  is  not  the  name  of  my  parents. 
The  Holy  Mother  gave  me  my  name,  at 
the  cathedral  in  Mexico,  so  it  is  truly  mine ; 
but  it  is  not  the  name  to  which  I  was  born. 
That  is  hidden.  It  is  lost !  I  do  not  know 
how,  nor  why.  Even  my  first  name  was 
changed,  for  I  remember,  when  I  was  a 
little  child,  I  was  called  Carlotta;  but, 
when  I  was  taken  to  the  cathedral,  it  was 
made  into  Clarita.  I  like  it  better,  I 
think.  Morris  says  that,  some  day  I  shall 
know  who  my  parents  were.  Sometimes, 
I  think  that  he  knows  now,  and  will  not 
tell  me.  If  that  be  so,  I  do  not  complain. 
He  knows  what  is  wisest  and  best  for  me. 
I  am  assured  of  that." 

"Carlotta— Carlotta!"  Trevor  ex- 
claimed. "It  is  the  name  of  one  of  my 
daughters:  it  is  Carla's  name.  It  was— 
was  it  your  mother's  name?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  Clarita  answered. 

The  financier  sat  staring  at  the  picture 
he  held  in  his  hand.     For  the  moment,  he 
140 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

was  utterly  oblivious  to  everything  else 
around  him,  and  Morris,  raising  his  eyes, 
regarded  the  old  man  sadly  and  steadily. 

"Have  you  anything  else  that  belonged 
to  your  mother,"  asked  Trevor,  presently. 
"Is  there  anything  else  that  was  hers  that 
you  would  care  to  show  me?" 

"I  think  not,  senor,"  the  girl  said. 
"But  stay!"  she  added.  "There  is  one 
thing  more  that  was  hers,  as  I  have  been 
told.  You  will  think  that  it  is  a  very 
strange  thing  to  exhibit.  I  do  not  know 
why  it  was  given  to  me  as  a  keepsake,  only 
that,  when  Senor  Llorente,  in  whose 
family  I  resided  while  in  Mexico,  gave  it 
to  me,  he  said:  'You  will  take  this  with 
you  also,  'Rita.  If  your  father  is  living, 
and  you  should  meet  him,  he  will  wish 
to  see  it.' '  At  this  announcement,  La- 
throp  looked  up  in  surprise,  and,  perceiv- 
ing it,  she  continued :  "I  do  not  think  that 
Morris  even  knows  about  this  keepsake.  I 
have  never  told  him,  because  I  had  f  orgot- 
141 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ten.  He  shall  see  it  now  at  the  same  time 
that  I  show  it  to  you.  It  is  not  pleasant ; 
it  is  not  nice.  It  is  a  very  strange  thing  to 
give  to  a  child  as  a  keepsake,  and  I  have 
kept  it  hidden  in  my  trunk.  I  will  get  it. 
You  will  excuse  me?" 

Again,  she  left  the  room,  and  again 
Trevor's  eyes  wondered  in  the  direction  of 
the  young  man ;  but  he  did  not  speak,  and 
their  eyes  did  not  meet,  for  Lathrop  was 
once  more  apparently  absorbed  in  the 
pages  of  the  book. 

Clarita  was  some  time  absent,  but,  at 
last,  she  returned.  Her  hands  were  behind 
her,  and  she  came  quite  close  to  her  guest 
before  she  exposed  them.  Then,  bring- 
ing them  suddenly  forward,  she  said 
simply : 

"It  is— this!" 

George  Trevor,  who  had  risen  at  her 
entrance,  stood  like  one  entranced.     Cat- 
alepsy could  not  have  held  him  more  rig- 
idly still  than  he  was  then,  with  wide-open, 
142 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

distended  eyes,  drawn  and  haggard  feat- 
ures, parted  lips  and  bated  breath. 

At  last,  slowly,  mechanically,  he  ex- 
tended one  hand  and  took  the  thing  she 
held  out  to  him — a  double  sheath  made 
of  one  piece  of  wood,  skillfully  carved  and 
inlaid  with  gold  and  silver  and  precious 
stones.  He  did  not  speak.  He  held  it 
in  his  hand,  and  stared  at  it  as  though  it 
were  a  serpent  that  had  fascinated  him. 

"It  is  not  pretty,"  she  continued,  not 
heeding  his  perturbation.  "It  is  deadly. 
I  do  not  admire  it." 

Slowly,  and  with  familiar  precision, 
Trevor  stretched  forth  the  other  hand,  and 
withdrew  the  knives  from  their  sheaths, 
one  after  the  other.  It  was  as  though  he 
were  forced  to  do  so  against  his  will.  He 
seemed  to  have  forgotten  his  surround- 
ings, to  see  only  those  two  curiously- 
wrought  weapons  that  he  now  held  in  his 
grasp:  one,  a  short,  dagger-like  instru- 
ment, sharpened  only  on  one  side,  but  keen 
143 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

as  a  razor  and  pointed  like  a  needle;  the 
other,  long,  slender,  deadly,  venomous  in 
every  curve,  glitteringly  bright,  sinister, 
murderous.  It  glinted  flashes  of  light 
from  its  polished  surface,  and  the  tiny, 
graceful  curves  along  its  back  seemed  to 
move  up  and  down,  as  though  possessed  of 
life — and  hatred. 

Trevor  was  so  long  silent,  that,  at  last, 
'Rita  looked  up,  inquiringly.  As  she  be- 
held his  face,  she  started  back,  affright- 
edly. 

"Morris!"  she  called,  in  a  panic  of  fear. 

The  young  man  sprang  to  her  at  sound 
of  the  terror  in  her  voice. 

"Look,"  she  whispered,  pointing  toward 
the  old  man — now  old  indeed!  "What  is 
it?  What  is  the  matter?  See!  Quick! 
My  God,  he  will  kill  himself!" 

It  is  true  that  he  would  have  done  so. 
The  mysterious  knife  seemed  to  have  com- 
pelled him  to  the  act,  for,  with  startling 
suddenness,  the  cataleptic  condition  left 
144 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

him.  He  laughed  aloud,  wildly;  raised 
the  weapon  in  the  air;  and  would  have 
plunged  it  into  his  breast  had  not  La- 
throp's  hand  seized  his  wrist  and  held  it. 
Then,  the  fingers  loosened  their  hold,  and 
the  evil  knife  fell  to  the  floor,  point  down- 
ward, piercing  the  carpet  and  penetrating 
the  board  beneath.  And  there  it  stood, 
quivering. 

For  an  instant,  the  old  man  stared  down 
at  it  dazedly;  then,  he  hid  his  face  in  his 
hands,  dropped  back  into  his  chair,  and 
sobbed  aloud. 

'Rita  looked  up  wonderingly  into  Mor- 
ris's face,  but  he  offered  her  no  explana- 
tion. Instead,  he  put  one  arm  gently 
around  her,  and  led  her  into  another  room. 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked  again.  "What 
does  it  mean?" 

"I  do  not  know,  dear,"  was  the  answer. 
"Perhaps,  he  will  tell  me.  I  must  take 
him  home  now,  but  I  will  return." 

"Oh,  Morris,"  she  pleaded;  "you  will 
145 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

come  back?  I  am  frightened.  You  will 
return?  Promise  me  that  you  will!" 

"I  promise,  'Rita.  As  soon  as  I  have 
seen  the  pater  home,  I  will  return.  You 
need  not  go  in  to  bid  him  good-night;  it 
is  not  necessary." 

Then,  he  touched  her  forehead  with  his 
lips,  and  left  her.  In  the  parlor,  the  knif e 
was  still  maliciously  swaying  to  and  fro 
above  the  carpet,  like  the  head  of  a  cobra, 
waiting  to  strike.  Lathrop  plucked  it 
from  the  floor,  and  returned  it,  together 
with  its  fellow,  to  the  sheath.  This  done, 
he  touched  Trevor  gently  on  the  shoulder. 

"Come,  pater,"  he  said  gently.  "Let 
us  go,  now." 

"Yes,  yes !  Let  us  go,  now,"  the  finan- 
cier assented,  with  pitiful  anxiety.  "Yes, 
I  must  get  away,  at  once.  I  must  think. 
My  God,  Morris,  do  you  understand  what 
this  thing  means  to  me?  Do  you  know 
who  this  girl  is?" 

"Hush !  hush !  Not  another  word  here  I" 
146 


THE  SINISTER  SOUVENIR 

the  young  man  commanded.  "Let  me 
help  you  on  with  your  coat.  Now,  are 
you  ready,  sir?" 

"Yes,  I  am  ready,"  was  the  answer. 
Nevertheless,  Trevor  still  stood  expectant, 
his  eyes  roving  toward  the  door  by  which 
Clarita  had  gone  out  of  the  room. 
"Where — ?"  he  began. 

But  Lathrop  interrupted  the  question, 
ere  it  was  formed. 

"Never  mind,"  he  urged.  "I  said  good- 
night for  you,  pater." 

Thereat,  the  old  man  sighed  wistfully; 
and  then  the  two  went  down  to  the  street, 
and  entered  the  carriage,  without  another 
word  spoken  between  them.  And  in  utter 
silence  they  drove  homeward,  and  in  si- 
lence they  parted. 


147 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WHAT  CARLA  DARED 

IT  is  a  remarkable  thing  that  the  very 
people  whom  we  regard  as  the  most 
self-contained  under  trying  circumstances 
are  the  very  ones,  who,  when  they  do  give 
way,  lose  all  vestige  of  self-control,  and 
plunge  head-foremost  to  the  opposite  ex- 
treme. The  fires  that  burned  within  the 
breast  of  Carla  Trevor  had  hitherto  only 
smoldered.  They  had  been  confined 
within  herself,  their  presence  unsuspected, 
and,  therefore,  the  danger  of  them  was 
unheeded.  But,  when  she  had  recovered 
from  the  shock  of  Lathrop's  abrupt  de- 
parture, the  smoldering  embers  burst  f  ortH 
into  flame,  and  consumed  her  reason,  her 
judgment,  and  her  faith.  When  she  re- 
turned the  ring  to  Morris,  she  did  not  real- 
148 


WHAT  CARLA  DARED 

ly  doubt  his  loyalty  to  her.  The  act  was 
based  upon  her  idea  of  the  principle  which, 
as  .she  believed,  was  involved;  she  had 
broken  the  engagement  because  he  had 
refused  to  confide  in  her,  and  for  no  other 
reason.  She  was  not,  in  any  sense  of  the 
word,  a  coquette.  Nevertheless,  she  had 
coquetted  with  him  then,  for  she  had  had 
no  suspicion,  when  she  offered  the  ring  to 
him,  that  he  would  accept  it.  She  could 
not  know  anything  of  the  self-abasement 
under  which  he  hourly  struggled  since  he 
had  taken  that  step  downward,  which,  in 
his  own  opinion,  forever  removed  him 
from  the  realm  in  which  he  had  lived  all 
his  life — that  of  unqualified  uprightness. 
Therefore,  his  calm  acquiescence  in  her 
decision  prostrated  her,  overwhelmed  her, 
shocked  her  out  of  herself  into  another 
being,  whom  she  had  not  known,  whom  she 
did  not  recognize,  but  who  now  dominated 
every  impulse  within  her.  She  had  asked 
for  an  explanation — she  had  demanded 
149 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

it.  And,  all  the  time,  in  her  own  heart, 
she  knew  that  there  was  a  sufficient  one. 
She  had  spoken  naught  but  the  truth  when 
she  said  that  she  was  not  jealous.  She 
did  not  doubt  him  when  he  told  her  what 
he  did;  her  one  cause  of  indignation 
against  him  was  that  he  did  not  tell  her  all. 
Now,  however,  she  saw  things  differ- 
ently. Her  recollection  of  the  scene  dis- 
torted everything  that  had  been  said  or 
done  out  of  all  recognizable  shape,  and  she 
discovered  motives  which  she  had  not  im- 
agined at  the  time,  and  fancied  reasons 
which  were  utterly  unreasonable.  His  re- 
fusal to  explain  farther  than  he  had,  was 
now  attributed  to  guilt  and  shame.  His 
statement  concerning  the  purity  of  Clarita 
Ortega,  she  now  regarded  as  a  lie.  The 
high  value  that  he  had  placed  upon  her 
own  love  for  him  had  become  a  subter- 
fuge. His  pretense  of  mystery  degener- 
ated to  a  contemptible  deception ;  and,  with 
it  all,  she  moaned  in  pain  while  she  assured 
150 


WHAT  CARLA  DARED 

herself  that  he  no  longer  loved  her,  and 
convinced  herself  that  he  was  at  heart  re- 
joiced because  she  had  severed  the  bond 
between  them.  Still,  she  made  no  out- 
ward sign.  The  fierce  warfare  that  raged 
within  found  no  visible  expression ;  but  she 
was  transformed  from  a  calm,  serene,  lov- 
ing woman,  abounding  in  faith,  into  a 
hard,  suspicious  relentless  being  who  saw 
only  evil  in  the  association  of  Morris  La- 
throp  and  Clarita  Ortega. 

So,  the  demons  entered  and  took  pos- 
session of  Carla  Trevor.  After  hours  of 
agonized  thought,  she  determined  on  a 
course  of  action,  and  she  forthwith  set  out 
toward  the  consummation  of  her  purpose 
with  a  resolution  that  was  not  to  be  denied. 
Shortly  before  eight  o'clock  on  the  night 
following  her  dismissal  of  Lathrop,  she 
visited  Edna's  room,  outwardly  as  calm 
and  self-possessed  as  ever,  and  she  even 
smiled  contemptuously  when  she  found  her 
sister  in  tears.  She  knew  well  the  cause 
151 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

of  those  tears,  but  she  forbore  any  refer- 
ence to  them.  It  seemed  to  her  rather  in 
the  nature  of  presumption  that  Edna 
should  thus  weep  when  she  could  not. 

"I  wish  you  to  tell  me  again  concerning 
your  encounter  with  that  woman  at  Mor- 
ris's apartment,"  she  said,  without  any 
hesitation. 

"There  is  nothing  to  tell,"  Edna  re- 
turned. "I  saw  her  there,  that  is  all. 
She  had  just  as  much  right  to  be  there  as 
I  had,  and  it  would  be  just  as  consistent 
for  you  to  think  ill  of  me  for  going  there 
as  to  think  ill  of  her." 

Carla  smiled.  There  was  no  sign  of 
softening  in  her  manner,  no  hesitation. 

"You  are  vehement,  Edna,"  she  said; 
"too  vehement,  I  think,  in  your  defense  of 
Miss  Ortega.  Do  you  know  the  present 
address  of  the  woman  whom  you  so  ably 
'defend?" 

"Yes,  I  do.  And  I'll  tell  you  one 
.thing,  Carla  Trevor,"  Edna  went  on 
152 


spiritedly.  "That  address  alone  is  suf- 
ficient proof  that  all  your  suspicions  are 
groundless.  Do  you  think,  if  the  facts 
were  as  your  jealous  imagination  paints 
them,  that  he  would  take  her  to  a  place 
like  the  Millington?  That  is  where  she 
is  now.  Would  he  do  that  if  there  were 
any  grounds  for  your  suspicions?  You 
ought  to  be  ashamed  of  them — and  of 
yourself !  I  know  a  good  woman  when  I 
see  one,  and,  if  ever  I  saw  one  in  my  life, 
it  was  when  I  saw  Clarita  Ortega.  Do 
you  know  what  I  did  then?  I  insulted 
her.  I  refused  to  be  introduced.  Oh,  I 
played  the  grand  lady  better  than  old 
Madam  Savage  could  have  done  it,  and  I 
have  been  eating  my  heart  out  with  shame 
ever  since.  Just  as  sure  as  I  live  until  to- 
morrow morning,  I  am  going  up  to  the 
Millington,  and  humble  myself  with  the 
most  abject  apology  I  know  how  to  make; 
and  you  will  do  well  if  you  follow  my  ex- 
ample." 

153 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"You  are  a  very  good  girl,  but  a  very; 
silly  one  at  times,  Edna,"  said  Carla,  with 
quiet  scorn.  "I  do  not  think  that  we  need 
to  prolong  this  discussion.  Good-night.'* 

She  went  out  of  the  room  in  the  same 
deliberate  manner  in  which  she  had  en- 
tered it,  leaving  Edna  disconsolate.  It 
was  nearly  nine  o'clock,  but  Carla  did  not 
hesitate.  She  had  made  her  plans,  and 
she  was  determined  to  carry  them  out. 
So,  it  happened  that,  only  a  few  minutes 
later,  closely  wrapped  and  veiled,  she  was 
on  the  street,  walking  rapidly.  The  air 
was  cold  and  keen,  and  she  walked  on  and 
on,  thinking,  thinking,  all  the  time  of  the 
young  woman  she  was  determined  to  see 
before  she  slept  again;  planning  how  she 
would  win  her  way  into  Clarita's  presence, 
for  she  had  no  doubt  that  she  would  be 
denied  admittance  if  she  were  known,  and 
she  was  equally  sure  that  Morris  had 
warned  this  Spanish  girl  against  her. 
Could  she  have  looked  ahead  into  Clarita's 
154 


WHAT  CARLA  DARED 

parlor  then,  she  would  have  seen  her  own 
father  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  room 
with  uplifted  weapon,  ready  to  strike;  she 
would  have  seen  agony  and  remorse  in  his 
face,  wonder,  doubt  and  horror  in  that  of 
his  hostess,  dismay  in  that  of  her  lover 
there  with  them. 

As  she  drew  near  the  building,  two  men 
came  out,  one  half -supporting  the  other, 
and  she  recognized  them  both:  her  dis- 
carded lover,  and  her  father;  but  she 
walked  on  steadily,  knowing  that  they 
could  not  recognize  her  veiled  face.  She 
could  have  touched  them  with  her  hands 
when  she  turned  aside  to  pass  them.  She 
did  not  comment  upon  the  encounter,  even 
to  herself.  Her  mind  was  too  much  en- 
grossed with  her  own  affairs.  But  the 
meeting  assured  her  of  one  thing — that 
her  own  interview  with  the  girl  would  not 
be  interrupted;  and  she  went  on  past  the 
house,  turning  to  see  if  both  of  the  men 
entered  the  carriage.  Then,  when  the 
155 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

carriage  had  driven  away,  she  passed 
through  the  great  front  door,  and  went  to 
the  elevator. 

"Miss  Ortega,"  she  said.  "She  is  ex- 
pecting me,  I  believe.  I  will  not  wait  to 
send  up  my  card.  Which  floor  is  it?" 

"The  top,"  the  attendant  answered,  un- 
suspectingly. 

When  the  elevator  stopped,  the  boy 
stepped  out,  led  her  to  the  door  of  Clarita's 
apartment,  rang  the  bell  for  her,  and  then 
hastened  back  to  his  car,  and  disappeared 
down  the  shaft. 

A  maid  opened  the  door.  As  it  swung 
ajar,  Carla  stepped  within  the  hallway, 
quickly. 

"I  wish  to  see  Miss  Ortega,"  she  said, 
and  passed  on  into  the  parlor,  where  she 
paused  in  the  centre  of  the  room  on  the 
very  spot  where  her  father  had  stood, 
only  a  little  while  before. 

"Whom  shall  I  say,  madame?"  asked 
the  maid,  who  had  followed  her. 
156 


WHAT  CARLA  DARED 

"Say  that  a  lady — one  whom  she  knows 
by  name,  at  least — wishes  to  see  her." 

.The  maid  withdrew,  and  then  Carla's 
eyes  swept  the  room  in  sharp,  comprehen- 
sive glances,  as  if  she  were  striving  to 
learn  something  of  the  unknown's  char- 
acter by  the  environment.  She  was  still 
engaged  in  this  occupation  of  curiosity, 
when  she  was  startled  by  the  sound  of  a 
gentle  voice  speaking  behind  her: 

"I  am  told  that  you  wished  to  see  me." 

As  the  words  fell  on  her  ears,  Carla 

turned  swiftly,  while  she  threw  back  her 

veil,  and  so,  for  the  first  time,  she  stood 

face  to  face  with  Clarita  Ortega. 


157 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  ACCUSATION 

FOR  a  brief  interval,  the  two  girls  re- 
mained silently  facing  each  other. 
Clarita's  face  showed  now  a  courteous  in- 
terrogation as  to  this  unexpected  visitor's 
presence,  although  it  revealed,  as  well, 
some  traces  of  the  scene  through  which  she 
had  just  passed.  C aria's  expression,  on 
the  other  hand,  was  studiously  calm,  and 
her  violet  eyes  surveyed  the  countenance 
of  her  companion  with  a  scrutiny  that 
would  have  been  impertinent  had  there 
been  less  surprise  in  her  gaze.  She  was. 
indeed,  greatly  startled,  for  she  had  not 
expected  to  encounter  such  loveliness  and 
purity  in  the  face  of  Clarita  Ortega. 

The  Spanish  girl  was  the  first  to  break 
the  awkward  silence. 
158 


THE  ACCUSATION 

"You  wished  to  see  me?"  she  said  again. 
Her  voice  was  kindly,  and  expressed  noth- 
ing more  than  she  uttered.  It  was  evident 
that  she  had  no  idea  as  to  the  identity  of 
her  caller. 

"Yes,"  Carla  returned,  steeling  her 
heart  against  the  fascination  that  shone 
out  from  the  face  before  her;  "yes,  I 
wished  to  see  you." 

"Will  you  be  seated?"  Clarita  asked 
quietly,  disguising  her  astonishment  at  the 
strangeness  of  the  other's  manner. 

"No,  thank  you,"  came  the  crisp  retort ; 
"I  do  not  care  to  sit  down.  I  suppose, 
Miss  Ortega,  that  you  do  not  guess  who 
I  am?" 

"No,  I  do  not  know  you,"  Clarita  ad- 
mitted. "Perhaps,  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  tell  me  your  name." 

"I  am  Miss  Trevor,"  was  the  curt  an- 
nouncement. "Do  you  know  me  now?" 

The  other  girl  uttered  a  little  gasp  of 
amazement,  and  her  face  paled  suddenly. 
159 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

At  the  same  time,  she  took  a  step  back- 
ward. But  she  recovered  herself  in  the 
same  instant,  and,  motioning  toward  a 
chair,  said  slowly. 

"It  is  very  good  of  you  to  call  upon  me, 
Miss  Trevor.  Won't  you  be  seated, 
please?" 

Carla  laughed — a  low,  irritating  laugh, 
without  any  hint  of  mirth  in  it. 

"No,"  she  said  coldly;  "I  do  not  care 
to  sit  down."  Her  manner  made  the 
words  insulting. 

"Then,  why  have  you  come  here,  Miss 
Trevor?"  Clarita  demanded,  indignantly. 

"I  have  already  told  you:  I  came  to  see 
you,"  was  the  deliberate  answer. 

"And  is  that  all?"  Clarita  exclaimed,  in 
new  bewilderment. 

Carla  stared  insolently  at  the  girl  whom 
she  regarded  as  her  rival. 

"No,  it  is  not  quite  all,"  she  declared. 
"I  intend  to  say  a  few  things  to  you,  Miss 
Ortega." 

160 


THE  ACCUSATION 

"Then,  I  must  beg  that  you  will  be  so 
kind  as  to  say  them  at  once."  The  re- 
quest was  made  with  an  air  of  extreme 
hauteur. 

Carla,  nevertheless,  maintained  her  poise 
of  scornful  indifference. 

"Rest  assured  that  I  shall  say  them  be- 
fore my  departure,"  she  answered.  "You 
are  quite  sure  that  you  know  who  I  am?" 

"Yes.  You  are  Carla  Trevor,  the  lady 
whom  Morris  is  to  marry." 

"You  are  mistaken  as  to  that,"  Carla 
announced. 

"Mistaken!"  Clarita  repeated  the  word, 
amazedly. 

"I  am  Clara  Trevor,  but  I  am  not  the 
lady  whom  Morris  Lathrop  is  to  marry. 
I  have  returned  his  ring  to  him.  We  are 
nothing  to  each  other,  now.  Do  you  not 
know  why  this  is  so?" 

"Oh,  I  am  so  sorry!  so  sorry!"  'Rita  ex- 
claimed, sympathetically. 

"You,  sorry!"  Carla  cried  out,  angrily. 
161 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"You  need  not  indulge  in  falsehoods,  Miss 
Ortega;  they  can  do  you  no  good.  Do 
you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  did  not  know 
the  engagement  between  Mr  Lathrop  and 
me  was  broken?  Would  you  have  me  be- 
lieve that  he  did  not  at  once  fly  to  you  with 
the  good  news  ?  I  saw  him  leave  here  only 
a  moment  ago,  in  company  with  my 
father.  Have  you  got  him  in  your  toils, 
also — my  father?  Is  he  another  of  your 
victims,  Senorita  Ortega?" 

"I  do  not  know  what  you  mean,  Miss 
Trevor."  The  reply  was  uttered  with 
quiet  dignity.  But,  now,  Clarita's  eyes 
began  to  sparkle  with  rising  anger,  al- 
though she  controlled  herself,  and  permit- 
ted no  other  sign  of  it  to  appear.  "I  do 
not  know  the  object  of  your  call — your 
manner  is  not  at  all  in  keeping  with  the 
descriptions  I  have  had  of  you.  But  I 
am  really  very  sorry  for  you — sorry  that 
your  engagement — " 

"I  certainly  did  not  come  here  as  a  sup- 
162 


THE  ACCUSATION 

pliant  for  your  pity,"  interrupted  Carla. 
"You  may  keep  that  for  yourself,  for  you 
need  it  more  than  I  do.  Perhaps,  how- 
ever, you  think  that,  now  I  am  out  of  the 
way,  he  will  make  you  his  wife." 

'Rita  uttered  a  low  cry  of  pain,  and 
started  back,  placing  one  hand  against  her 
heart.  Her  face  became  paler  still,  and 
her  great  eyes  gazed  piteously  upon  her 
tormentor. 

"Marry  me!"  she  exclaimed.  "Marry 
me?  Make  me  his  wife?  No,  no,  Miss 
Trevor,  that  is  not  for  me!  He  does  not 
love  me!" 

"But  you  love  him!"  Carla  cried,  wrath- 
fully.  "I  see  it  in  your  eyes,  hear  it  in 
your  voice,  read  it  in  your  manner!  You 
love  him!" 

Clarita  stood  before  the  outburst  in 
proud  patience. 

"Yes,  I  do  love  him,"  she  said,  softly. 
"Is  there  any  shame  in  that?  I  have 
loved  him  ever  since  the  first  moment  I 
163 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

saw  him,  when  he  was  so  good  to  me.  I 
shall  love  him  to  the  last  moment  of  my 
life.  Is  there  any  shame  in  that?" 

"You  are  frank  about  it,  at  least.  And, 
because  you  do  love  him,  you  have  given 
yourself  to  him  body  and  soul!" 

"I  do  not  know  what  you  mean  by  giv- 
ing myself  to  him  body  and  soul,"  was  the 
reply.  "I  cannot  pretend  to  understand 
you.  I  have  given  him  my  heart,  for 
that  is  mine  to  bestow  where  I  will,  but  he 
does  not  know  that  he  possesses  it.  My 
soul  belongs  to  God,  not  to  him,  nor  to 
you,  nor  to  me.  It  is  God's,  and  the  Holy 
Mother  has  it  in  her  keeping." 

"You  dare  to  say  such  things — you?" 
gasped  Carla. 

"Why  not?  It  is  true.  Is  it  wrong 
that  I  should  love  Morris?  Very,  well 
then,  I  have  done  wrong;  but  I  could  not 
help  it.  I  did  not  know  that  I  loved  him 
until  he  told  me  about  you,  and  I  knew 
that  a  day  would  come  when  I  should  lose 
164 


THE  ACCUSATION 

him.  It  was  then  that  I  discovered  what 
my  heart  had  done,  all  in  silence  and  in 
secrecy.  But  he  does  not  know  that  I  love 
him.  I  have  never  told  him,  and  I  have 
tried — oh,  so  hard! — to  hide  it  from  him. 
I  look  away  from  him  sometimes  when  he 
speaks  to  me,  fearing  that  he  will  discover 
it.  Ah,  you  do  not  know — you  cannot 
imagine  the  pain!  You  do  not  mean  all 
that  you  say  and  do  now,  for  you  are  mad 
with  jealousy,  but  there  is  no  cause.  He 
does  not  love  me ;  he  loves  only  you.  Be- 
lieve me,  it  is  true.  I  am  nothing  to  him 
— nothing!" 

"You  are—" 

"Wait,  please;  let  me  finish,"  Clarita 
insisted.  "Then,  perhaps,  you  will  think 
better  of  what  you  were  about  to  say,  for 
I  see  in  the  expression  of  your  eyes  that 
it  is  not  pleasant." 

"Say  on;  I  will  hear  you  to  the  end," 
Carla  said. 

"It  is,  perhaps,  natural,"  Clarita  con- 
165 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

tinued,  "that  you  should  feel  as  you  do 
toward  me,  since  he  was — and,  I  trust, 
will  be  again — your  accepted  lover.  I 
do  not  know,  but  I  think  that  I  might  feel 
the  same,  if  I  believed  that  I  had  reason 
to  do  so.  I  might  be  angrier  than  you 
are,  for  I  am  very  impetuous — I  do  not 
always  think  before  I  speak!  But  now, 
Miss  Trevor,  there  is  no  cause.  For  the 
harsh  things  you  have  said  since  you  came 
here,  I  forgive  you.  Can  we  not  be 
friends?" 

She  put  one  hand  out  hesitatingly,  and 
took  a  step  forward.  There  was  entreaty 
in  her  eyes  and  in  her  voice.  She  really 
desired  to  be  friends  with  this  girl  whom 
Morris  loved,  for,  as  yet,  she  had  not 
guessed  the  horrible  conviction  that  was 
in  the  other's  mind. 

"Friends  with  you?"  exclaimed  Carla, 

with  such  withering  contempt  that  'Rita 

involuntarily  shrank  away.     Of  a  sudden 

now,  she  understood,  and,  before  the  real- 

166 


THE  ACCUSATION 

ization,  she  cowered  as  from  a  blow.  It 
was  a  gesture  which  Carla  misinterpreted, 
for  she  regarded  it  as  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  guilt.  "Do  you  suppose  that  I 
do  not  know?"  she  continued,  with  in- 
creased scorn.  "And  why  else  do  you 
suppose  I  broke  the  engagement?  Who 
supports  you?  Morris  Lathrop!  Whose 
money  purchases  the  luxuries  with  which 
you  are  surrounded?  Morris  Lathrop's! 
Who  hires  your  apartments  for  you? 
He  does!  Who  has  moved  you  about 
from  place  to  place,  from  apartment  to 
apartment,  lest  your  address  and  your  ex- 
istence should  be  discovered?  Always 
Morris  Lathrop!  And  jrou  dare  to  stand 
there  with  your  baby  face  and  innocent 
air,  and  ask  me  to  be  your  friend!  I 
would  sooner  fondle  a  snake  than  touch 
your  hand.  You  talk  about  your  soul  be- 
longing to  God!  It  belongs  to  Morris 
Lathrop,  for  you  sold  it  to  him  in  return 
for  jewels  and  dresses,  a  luxuriant  home. 
167 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

And  you  have  the  effrontery  to  propose 
friendship  with  me!" 

Still,  'Rita  did  not  speak.  She  could 
only  gaze  upon  her  accuser  in  a  wide-eyed 
horror  too  profound  for  expression;  and 
she  shrank  farther  and  farther  away,  until 
at  last  she  placed  her  hand  upon  the  back 
of  an  upholstered  chair,  and  leaned  upon 
it,  utterly  overwhelmed. 

"I  wonder  if  you  realize  how  I  despise 
myself  for  coming  here,"  Carla  contin- 
ued. "It  lowers  me  for  the  moment  to 
your  own  level,  and  that  is  beneath  con- 
tempt. But  I  wished  to  see  you;  I 
wanted  to  see  a  woman  who  would  sell 
herself  for  cash.  I  wanted  to  see  a 
woman,  who,  although  devoid  of  heart 
and  soul  and  decency,  yet  possessed  the 
witchery  to  make  men  mad." 

"Stop!"  cried  'Rita,  suddenly,  and  her 

voice  rang  clearly.     There  was  no  more 

shrinking   in   her    attitude.     Her    slight 

form  seemed  to  grow  taller,  as  she  left  the 

168 


SHE  SHRANK  FARTHER  AND  FARTHER  AWAY, 
UNTIL  AT  LAST  SHE    PLACED  HER  HAND 
UPON    THE    BACK    OF    AN  UPHOLS- 
TERED CHAIR. 

—Page  168 


THE  ACCUSATION 

chair  against  which  she  had  been  leaning, 
and  with  firm  tread  approached  near  to 
Carla.  The  pathetic  tenderness  and  sor- 
rowful sympathy  were  gone  from  her 
eyes,  now.  The  horror  was  still  there, 
but  through  it  sparkled  indignant  protest, 
righteous  anger  and  unalterable  resolve. 
"You  go  too  far,  Miss  Trevor,"  she  said, 
with  emphasis.  "You  are  bad,  cruel, 
bitter.  It  is  you  who  should  feel  the 
shame,  not  I !  You  come  here,  uninvited, 
to  my  house — and  for  what?  To  insult 
me!  Is  that  the  act  of  a  lady?  You 
accuse  me  of  things  that  I  cannot  men- 
tion, and  you  know  in  your  own  heart  that 
they  are  false.  I  will  not  discuss  them 
with  you.  Why  should  I?  I  care  not 
for  your  scorn,  for  I  despise  you.  When 
you  came  into  my  apartment,  you  left 
without  something  that  Mr.  Lathrop  val- 
ued more  than  he  did  your  beauty.  Do  you 
know  what  it  was?  It  was  your  dignity. 
It  would  be  well  if  you  went  out  and 
169 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

searched  for  it  again.  I  will  tell  you  one 
thing  more,  for  that  you  should  know — 
that  everybody  should  know.  It  is  not 
Mr.  Lathrop's  money  that  provides  this 
house,  buys  my  dresses,  and  supports  me: 
it  is  my  own.  It  was  my  father's;  it  is 
now  mine.  For  the  rest,  I  shall  not  argue 
with  you.  Such  a  thing  would  be  to  in- 
sult myself.  Oh,  no!  The  shame  is 
yours,  not  mine.  At  first,  I  was  sorry 
for  you,  and  I  would  have  forgiven — but 
not  now!  You  have  gone  too  far.  At 
first,  I  would  have  done  all  that  I  could  to 
reunite  you  with  Morris,  for  I  love  him, 
and  I  would  see  him  happy.  But  it 
would  not  be  for  his  happiness  to  unite 
with  you ;  it  would  be  to  his  despair.  JSTo, 
I  would  not  have  him  make  you  his  wife, 
now;  it  would  not  be  well.  You  are  not 
a  good  woman." 

Her  words  came  so  fast,  so  impetuous- 
ly, that  Carla  could  do  nothing  but  stand 
and   listen   to   them.     She   tried   several 
170 


THE  ACCUSATION 

times  to  interrupt  the  torrent  of  rebuke 
that  fell  from  'Rita's  lips,  but  she  could 
not  succeed.  There  was  something  in  the 
manner  of  the  girl  that  overawed  her, 
that  silenced  her,  that  compelled  her  to 
listen,  even  against  her  will. 

Neither  of  them  had  heard  the  door- 
bell, although  it  rang  sharply  while  'Rita 
was  speaking.  Now,  as  Carla  opened  her 
lips  to  reply,  the  portieres  were  thrust 
apart,  and  Morris  Lathrop  stepped 
quickly  into  the  room,  and  paused,  over- 
come by  astonishment  to  see  these  two  to- 
gether. 


171 


XV 

DRIVEN    BACK    TO   EDEN 

BOTH  Carla  and  Clarita  discovered 
Lathrop's  presence  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, but  the  discovery  affected  them 
very  differently.  To  Clarita,  his  coming 
was  a  godsend;  to  Carla,  it  was  only  a 
confirmation  of  her  worst  suspicions. 
The  former  uttered  a  glad  cry  of  wel- 
come; the  latter  smiled  contemptuously. 

Lathrop  looked  from  one  to  the  other, 
in  unqualified  amazement.  He  could  not 
understand  Carla's  presence  there.  At 
first,  the  hope  shot  through  him  that  she 
had  repented  of  her  hasty  judgment,  and 
had  come  to  see  for  herself  what  manner 
of  woman  it  was  concerning  whom  she 
had  questioned  him — that  she  had  come 
repentantly.  One  glance,  however,  was 
172 


sufficient  to  dispel  that  illusion;  the  atti- 
tude of  the  two  was  obviously  hostile. 

But  the  young  man  concealed  his  dis- 
may as  best  he  could. 

"Good-evening,  Carla,"  he  said,  quietly. 
"It  is  a  surprise  to  see  you  here.  Why 
don't  you  sit  down?" 

"Are  the  apartment  and  the  furniture 
yours,  that  you  are  so  quick  to  place  them 
at  my  service?"  the  girl  retorted,  her  lip 
curling. 

"Should  I  be  infringing  upon  your 
hospitality  if  I  requested  a  lady  to  take  a 
seat  in  your  drawing-room?"  he  asked  in 
return,  speaking  as  calmly  as  before. 

Then,  he  turned  to  'Rita,  in  whose  face 
traces  of  her  recent  excitement  were  still 
plainly  to  be  seen,  although  her  anger  was 
forgotten  since  the  moment  of  his  coming. 

"What  is  the  trouble,  'Rita,"  he  said. 
"Is  anything  wrong?" 

"Everything  seems  to  be  wrong,  Mor- 
ris— everything!"     was     the     passionate 
173 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

reply.  "I  don't  know  what  it  is;  I  don't 
know  what  is  the  matter,  but  it  is  terrible ! 
Miss  Trevor  came  in  unannounced;  she 
has  been  very  unkind — very  unjust! 
Ask  her.  Perhaps,  she  will  tell  you — I 
cannot !" 

She  turned  away  and  walked  to  the  win- 
dow, crying  silently,  for  her  overwrought 
nerves,  so  sorely  tried  by  the  two  scenes 
through  which  she  had  passed,  could  no 
longer  bear  the  strain,  and,  now  that  this 
man  in  whom  she  had  perfect  trust  was 
come  to  defend  her,  she  at  last  broke 
down. 

Carla  did  not  wait  for  questions.  She 
seemed  to  have  thrown  all  sense  of  dis- 
cretion aside.  She  believed  that  Lathrop 
had  admitted  himself  with  a  key,  for  she 
had  not  heard  the  bell,  and  in  that  moment 
she  hated  him  as  intensely  as  she  had  loved 
him  in  the  past. 

"Do  you  wish  me  to  repeat  to  you  what 
I  have  already  said  to  this  woman?"  she 
174 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN 

demanded  coldly,  yet  with  such  sup- 
pressed wrath  that  it  robbed  her  voice  of 
its  clearness  and  rendered  it  husky  and 
unnatural. 

"Carla,  hush!"  Lathrop  exclaimed, 
warningly. 

"I  will  not  hush!"  the  frantic  girl 
stormed.  "Why  should  I?  I  only  half- 
believed  it  before;  I  know  it  now.  I  saw 
you  when  you  left  this  house  in  the  com- 
pany of  my  father.  You  have  returned; 
you  enter  the  room  with  the  air  of  a  mas- 
ter— you  are  master  here!  Do  I  need  a 
greater  assurance?" 

With  a  slow  gesture,  she  turned  then, 
and  pointed  one  finger  at  Clarita. 

"She  has  not  denied  it,"  she  continued. 
"She  could  not — she  dare  not,  for  it  is 
the  truth!  When  I  accused  her  of  it,  she 
could  only  cower,  like  the  guilty  thing  she 
is.  She  could  not  say,  no!  Oh,  she  loves 
you — yes,  she  admits  that  much.  I  do 
not  doubt  that  she  will  continue  to  lavish 
175 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

her  love  upon  you,  such  as  it  is,  until  she 
finds  another  who  has  more  money  to  give 
her,  or  who  wins  her  fancy  for  the  mo- 
ment. Why,  she  thinks,  now  our  en- 
gagement is  broken;  that  you  will  make 
her  your  wife,  that  you  will — " 

"It  is  false,  Morris!  Do  not  believe 
her!"  cried  'Rita,  whirling  and  facing 
them.  Her  cheeks  were  flaming  red,  and 
her  eyes  shone  like  stars.  To  have  the 
love  she  had  striven  so  hard  to  conceal, 
revealed  in  that  wanton  manner  was  to 
her  the  climax  of  disaster.  So  long  as 
the  accusations  made  against  her  were  un- 
true, she  could  bear  them,  but,  when  the 
holiest  truth  of  her  life  was  thus  "cried 
abroad,  it  was  more  than  she  could  bear, 
and  she  stood  there  trembling,  not  know- 
ing which  way  to  turn,  utterly  bereft. 

Lathrop  stepped  to  her  side  instantly, 

and  gently  put  an  arm  around  her.     She 

nestled  close  to  him,  and  grew  calmer. 

Then,  very  quietly,  but  very  firmly,  he 

176 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN 

spoke;  and  his  face  wore  the  smile  that  it 
had  shown  when  he  struck  down  Chap- 
man in  the  billiard-room  of  the  club. 

"Carla,"  he  said,  "you  have  decided  for 
me  a  question  that  I  should  have  settled 
for  myself  long  ago.  I  cannot  under- 
stand what  actuates  you  to-night.  You 
have  said  things  and  done  tilings  which 
may  be  forgiven,  but  which  can  never  be 
forgotten.  I  regret  particularly  that  it 
is  you  who  have  said  them,  for  the  day  will 
come  when  you  must  repent  them  with 
much  more  bitterness  than  you  use  in  giv- 
ing utterance  to  them  now." 

Carla  smiled,  disdainfully. 

"You  mean,  I  suppose,  that  my  re- 
pentance will  come  too  late,"  she  said. 
"I  have  said  nothing  that  I  regret — 
nothing!  I  am  sorry  that  I  came  here, 
for  you  have  exhibited  a  depth  of  degra- 
dation of  which  I  had  not  believed  you 
capable,  and  I  regret  such  a  spectacle* 
As  for  her—" 

177 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Stop,  Carla!"  Lathrop  commanded, 
sternly.  "Even  from  you,  I  will  listen 
to  no  more.  If  you  have  no  considera- 
tion for  others,  recall  some  of  your  own 
self-respect — and  go!" 

"You — order  me  out — like  that?"  the 
girl  exclaimed,  aghast  at  the  extremity 
to  which  she  had  forced  herself. 

"I  do  not  order  you  out,"  Lathrop 
rejoined.  "I  have  neither  the  inclination 
nor  the  right  to  do  so,  but  it  is  best  for 
you,  and  best  for  all  concerned  that  you 
do  go,  and  at  once.  Your  presence  has 
already  worked  harm  enough  to  us  all. 
So,  go,  please.  I  ask  it  for  your  father's 
sake,  for  Edna's  sake,  for  your  own — not 
for  'Rita's  or  for  mine.  You  cannot  in- 
jure me,  and  I  can  and  will  protect  her." 

"By  giving  her  your  name,  I  suppose," 
Carla  suggested,  maliciously.  "It  would 
be  a  fitting  end." 

"Yes,  by  giving  her  my  name,  if  she 
178 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN 

will  accept  it,"  Lathrop  agreed,  and  his 
voice  was  tender. 

For  a  moment,  there  was  silence. 
(Then,  Carla  spoke,  falteringly: 

"I— will  go." 

She  did  not  deign  another  word,  but, 
with  head  erect,  crossed  the  room,  and 
disappeared  through  the  portieres. 

Lathrop  still  stood  with  one  of  his  arms 
around  'Rita.  For  a  little,  after  Carla 
had  left  the  room,  both  continued  silent. 
Presently,  however,  the  young  man 
looked  down  at  the  face  on  his  breast  and 
saw  that  the  girl  was  crying  silently. 

"  'Rita,"  he  said,  softly,  "is  it  true?" 

"Is  what  true,  Morris,"  she  murmured. 

"Is  it  true  that  you  love  me?" 

"Yes,"  she  whispered,  "it  is  true.  I 
love  you,  I  have  always  loved  you,  Mor- 
ris, and  I  always  shall  love  you." 

"And  to-morrow  morning,  dear,  will 
you  stand  before  a  minister,  here  in  this 
179 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

place  and  say  the  words  that  will  make 
you  my  wife  ?" 

She  broke  away  from  him  and  fled  to 
the  other  side  of  the  room,  where,  with  a 
table  between  them,  she  stood  panting, 
frightened,  wondering. 

"No— no— no!"  she  cried.  "Not  that! 
I  could  not  do  it.  It  is  not  possible.  It 
would  not  be  right.  It  would  be  a  sin." 

"Why,  'Rita?"  he  asked.  "If  you  love 
me,  why  do  you  refuse  to  be  my  wife?" 

"Because — you  do  not — love  me!"  she 
replied,  slowly. 

"That  is  not  true,"  he  declared,  with 
great  earnestness.  "I  do  love  you,  with 
all  my  heart." 

But  she  shook  her  head. 

"You  do  not  love  me,"  she  repeated. 
"I  am  very  dear  to  you — I  know  that,  and 
I  thank  God  for  it — but  you  do  not  love 
me!  You  have  given  all  your  love  to 
Miss  Trevor,  and  you  cannot  take  it  away 
in  a  moment,  and  bestow  it  upon  me. 
180 


Hush!  Do  not  speak,"  she  went  on,  "for 
I  am  not  strong  against  you.  Let  me 
complete  what  I  have  to  say.  You  offer 
to  make  me  your  wife,  because  of  what 
has  happened  here,  because  you  regard  it 
as  your  duty,  because  it  will  forever  put 
an  end  to  the  slanders  which  were  pro- 
voked by  my  visit  to  your  rooms.  If  you 
loved  me,  I  would  fly  to  your  arms.  As 
it  is,  no!  I  cannot,  I  cannot  be  your 
wife." 

'  'Rita,"  Lathrop  said,  stretching  out 
his  hands  toward  her,  "come  here.  You 
need  not  run  away  from  me,  for  you  are 
altogether  wrong.  I  do  love  you !  I  had 
determined  to  ask  you  to  be  my  wife  while 
I  was  on  the  way  back  here  after  taking 
Mr.  Trevor  home — long  before  I  had  any 
idea  that  Carla  was  here.  You  certainly 
believe  me  now,  do  you  not?" 

"Yes,"  the  girl  admitted.  "You  have 
never  deceived  me — I  do  not  doubt  you 
now." 

181 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Then,  you  will  consent!"  Lathrop 
cried,  joyously. 

But  the  girl  shook  her  head  in  denial. 

"No,  no;  I  cannot!"  she  persisted. 
"You  must  not  ask  it  of  me." 

"But  I  do  ask  it,  dear,"  Lathrop  urged. 
"It  is  for  my  own  happiness  that  I  plead. 
You  will  do  this  to  make  me  happy,  will 
you  not?  .  .  .  Listen:  To-morrow, 
I  shall  bring  two  of  my  friends  here,  and 
in  their  presence  we  shall  be  married. 
As  quickly  as  I  can,  I  shall  finish  up  the 
business  that  detains  me  in  town.  When 
that  is  arranged,  we  shall  go  abroad.  We 
shall  travel  where  we  please,  and  for  as 
long  as  we  please.  Afterward,  we  shall 
choose  a  home  as  our  fancy  guides  us. 
You  will  not  refuse  me,  'Rita?  To- 
morrow, at  twelve  o'clock,  I  shall  be  here. 
You  will  be  ready,  dear?" 

The  girl's  eyes  were  moist  as  she  gazed 
up  at  him,  but,  for  a  little,  she  made  no 
reply;  indeed,  she  could  not  speak  just 
182 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEX 

then.  Her  whole  heart  went  out  to  him, 
and  yet — there  was  something  wanting. 
Had  he  seized  her  in  his  arms;  had  he 
whispered  wrords  of  endearment,  had  he 
covered  her  face  with  kisses;  had  he,  in- 
stead of  pleading,  demanded,  this  hesita- 
tion could  not  have  held  her  in  its  thrall. 
But,  now,  she  did  not  know. 

"Say,  yes,  'Rita!"  the  lover  besought 
her.  "It  must  be,  yes!" 

For  yet  a  moment  more,  the  girl 
wavered.  And  then,  at  last,  she  yielded 
to  the  impulse  of  her  own  dearest  desire. 
Her  head  drooped  until  it  was  bowed  in 
utter  humility  before  this  man  whom  she 
worshiped,  and,  in  a  voice  so  low  that  his 
eager  ears  could  hardly  catch  the  words, 
she  murmured: 

"If  you  wish  it  so,  Morris — yesT 


183 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE   LETTER 

WHEN  Morris  Lathrop  arrived 
at  his  own  room  that  night, 
after  he  had  won  the  consent  of  Clarita 
to  marry  him  the  following  morning,  he 
scarcely  knew  the  truth  as  to  his  own 
feelings.  He  did  not  realize  that  his  love 
for  Carla  had  received  a  shock  from  which 
it  could  never  recover,  yet  he  assured 
himself  that  he  had  done  right  in  offering 
himself  to  'Rita,  despite  the  fact  that  his 
love  for  her  was  a  quantity  he  had  never 
yet  paused  to  analyze.  He  was  conscious 
of  a  sense  of  repose  in  the  arrangement 
that  had  been  made,  and  the  pain  that  had 
been  his  because  of  the  separation  from 
Carla  was  gone.  He  could  no  longer 
think  of  her  as  hitherto.  He  remembered 
184 


THE  LETTER 

her  now  only  as  he  had  seen  her  during 
that  scene  in  'Rita's  apartment,  and  he  re- 
called the  picture  with  a  shudder. 

There  was  a  telegram  awaiting  him 
which  caused  disquieting  thought.  It 
came  from  Jack  Millington,  and  read: 

"Correct  was  good  news.  Arrive  New 
York  to-morrow  night,  ten.  Will  keep 
dark  few  days  in  your  rooms,  if  you  can 
put  me  up.  Funny  cable  from  governor. 
Explain  when  I  see  you.  Can  you  meet 
me  at  train?  J.  M." 

It  was  evident  that  the  cryptic  phrase, 
"Funny  cable  from  governor,"  referred 
to  the  hypothecated  securities.  The  news 
brought  Lathrop  back  with  a  sudden 
shock  to  realization  of  the  dangerous 
position  in  which  he  had  placed  himself. 
'Nevertheless,  he  put  the  message  aside, 
and  went  to  the  club,  and,  as  he  walked 
up  the  avenue,  the  burden  of  his  thought 
was:  "I  wonder  if  I  do  right  in  marry- 
ing 'Rita  while  this  peril  of  disgrace  is 
185 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

hanging  over  me?"  He  could  not  reply 
to  the  question  satisfactorily  to  himself; 
and,  in  the  end,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
and  let  it  rest.  But  it  was  to  be  an- 
swered for  him  in  a  manner  that  he  could 
not  foresee. 

As  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  breakfast 
the  next  morning,  he  set  about  making 
arrangements  for  the  event  of  the  day, 
and  started  at  a  rapid  walk  for  the  resi- 
dence of  a  clergyman  of  his  acquaintance. 
Before  he  arrived  at  the  house,  however, 
something  compelled  him  to  hesitate.  It 
came  to  him  that  he  should  see  'Rita  again 
before  he  made  any  of  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements for  the  wedding.  Twice  he 
stopped  to  turn  back,  and  twice  he  went 
on  his  way  again ;  but,  at  last,  he  made  the 
third  pause.  Thereafter,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate, but  called  a  cab,  and  ordered  the 
driver  to  take  him  to  the  Millington.  It 
was  not  yet  ten  o'clock;  an  early  hour  for 
a  call,  but  there  was  sufficient  excuse,  for 
186 


THE  LETTER 

he  had  convinced  himself  that  his  only  ob- 
ject in  the  visit  was  to  discover  if  the 
girj  had  not  some  suggestion  to  make  re- 
garding the  ceremony. 

The  maid  who  answered  his  ring 
announced  that  her  mistress  had  gone  out 
early  to  do  some  shopping.  "Made- 
moiselle left  a  letter  for  you,  sir,"  she 
continued.  "She  expected  you,  I  think, 
for  she  told  me  to  give  it  to  you  as  soon 
as  you  came.  I  will  get  it  for  you." 

Lathrop  passed  through  the  hallway 
into  the  parlor,  and  waited,  until  the  mis- 
sive was  brought.  He  broke  the  seal,  and 
read  it,  after  the  maid  had  discreetly 
retired.  As  he  gathered  its  purport,  his 
face  turned  white. 

This  was  the  text  of  the  letter : 

"I  am  going  away,  I  know  not  where; 
but  it  is  best  that  I  should  go,  and  I  obey 
the  mandate  of  my  conscience.  It  is  be- 
cause I  love  you,  dear,  that  I  go.  If  I 
loved  you  less,  I  should  remain.  You 
187 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

love  me — yes,  that  I  do  not  doubt ;  but  not 
as  you  should  love  one  who  becomes  your 
wife.  Do  not  think  that  I  have  wantonly 
deceived  you.  When  I  said,  'yes/  to  you 
last  night,  I  intended  to  keep  my  word; 
but,  almost  immediately  after  you  were 
gone  from  me,  I  realized  the  error  that  I 
had  committed,  and  I  understood  that  it 
could  not  be  as  you  wished.  I  think  that 
I  love  your  happiness  and  your  content 
even  more  than  I  love  you.  Can  you  un- 
derstand how  that  can  be? 

"If  we  were  married,  I  should  tremble 
always  lest  there  come  a  moment  of  regret 
into  your  life  for  what  you  had  done,  and 
that  would  kill  me. 

"You  will  be  worried  about  my  safety. 
That  must  not  be,  for  I  shall  be  safe. 
You  remember,  there  is  a  column  in  the 
Herald  that  you  used  to  laugh  about 
sometimes?  If  it  be  necessary,  I  shall 
communicate  with  you  by  that  means ;  and 
as  soon  as  it  is  best.  When  you  have  f or- 
188 


THE  LETTER 

given  Carla,  and  are  reconciled  to  her,  if 
you  will  announce  it  to  me  in  the  same 
manner,  I  shall  return,  but  not  until  then 
— no!  It  is  Carla  whom  you  love. 

"I  have  forgiven  her  for  what  she  said 
and  did  last  night.  She  was  beside  herself 
— mad!  I,  myself,  might  have  done  the 
same,  or  worse.  You  should  not  hold  her 
accountable  for  it.  She  loves  you.  When 
she  lost  you,  it  stole  away  her  reason. 
Because  of  that,  I  freely  forgive  her,  and, 
if  I  forgive  her,  surely  you  can  do  the 
same. 

"It  is  bitter,  this  going  away !  To  you, 
it  will  appear  unnecessary,  but  you  do 
not  understand.  It  is  not  from  you  that 
I  fly;  it  is  from  myself!  God  bless  you 
and  keep  you,  dear,  and  remember  that  I 
love  you!" 

Lathrop  read  the  letter  through  twice. 

Then,  he  folded  it  carefully,  and  put  it  in 

his  pocket-book.     Presently,  he  walked  to 

a  window,  and  stood  for  a  long  time  look- 

189 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ing    out    upon    the    street.     When    he 
turned,  he  rang  the  bell  for  the  maid. 

"Your  mistress  writes,"  he  said,  without 
showing  any  emotion,  "that  she  may 
accept  an  invitation  to  spend  several  days 
with  a  friend,  in  another  city.  She  prob- 
ably had  not  fully  decided  when  she  went 
out,  or  she  would  have  told  you.  So,  if 
she  does  not  return,  you  will  under- 
stand." 

He  went  out  then,  got  into  his  cab,  and 
was  driven  to  the  office  of  George  Trevor. 

"Come  in,  come  in,"  said  the  broker, 
when  he  saw  him.  "I  want  to  talk  to  you. 
You  are  late!" 

"I  could  not  very  well  help  it,  pater. 
What  is  it?  Anything  new?" 

"No.  I  want  to  talk  to  you  about — 
last  night.  I  must  talk  to  someone,  or  I 
shall  go  mad.  And  you  are  the  only  one 
to  whom  I  can  speak." 

"Then,  let  us  leave  it  until  evening," 
Lathrop     suggested.     "Here,     we     are 
190 


THE  LETTER 

likely  to  be  interrupted.  I'll  come  to  you 
at  your  house,  after  dinner." 

"Very  well,"  the  financier  agreed. 
TKen,  he  added  reflectively:  "You  need 
not  mind  coming  to  the  house  on  Carla's 
account.  She  has  gone  away." 

"Gone  away!"  Lathrop  repeated,  as- 
tonished. "Where?" 

"To  Lakewood,"  was  the  answer.  "At 
least,  I  found  a  note  on  the  breakfast- 
table,  telling  me  that  she  had  gone." 

At  this  moment,  the  conference  of  the 
two  was  interrupted  by  a  clerk,  who  en- 
tered with  a  card.  The  financier  glanced 
at  it,  and  read  aloud  the  name,  "Harry 
Chapman." 

"Very  well,"  he  directed.  "Send  him 
in." 

There  was  another  private  room,  at  the 
back  of  that  usually  occupied  by  the 
broker,  and,  when  the  clerk  had  gone 
out,  Lathrop  rose  and  wrent  into  it. 

"I  am  the  bearer  of  bad  news,  Mr. 
191 


Trevor,"  Chapman  announced,  as  he  came 
into  the  presence  of  the  financier.  "Your 
daughter,  Carla,  has  met  with  an  accident. 
She—" 

"She  is  not  dead!"  the  old  man  ex- 
claimed, his  face  ghastly. 

"No,  no,  sir,"  Chapman  replied, 
quickly.  "I  regret  that  I  must  tell  you 
of  this.  I  was  present  when  it  occurred, 
and  I  did  all  that  I  could  to  give  assist- 
ance. Then,  I  hurried  here.  She  was 
conscious  when  I  came  away.  The  phy- 
sician told  me  that,  if  there  was  no  inter- 
nal injury,  she  would  recover." 

"Where  was  it?  How  did  it  happen?" 
the  financier  questioned. 

"At  the  American  Line  pier,  where  she 
had  gone  to  see  about  her  room  for  the 
voyage.  She  was  knocked  down  by  a 
team  of  truck  horses.  But  her  injury  is 
not  serious." 

"American  Line  pier — voyage?"  splut- 
tered Trevor,  not  comprehending  in  the 
192 


THE  LETTER 

least.     "What  the  devil  do  you  mean?" 

"She  was  to  sail  to-day,  you  know," 
Chapman  answered,  in  astonishment.  "I 
met  Miss  Trevor  last  night,  as  she  was 
coming  out  of  the  Millington  on  Central 
Park  West,  and  I  escorted  her  home. 
She  told  me  then  that  she  intended  to  sail 
to-day,  but  that  you  had  neglected  to  pro- 
cure her  tickets.  I  volunteered  to  attend 
to  it  for  her— 

"Coming  out  of  the  Millington!"  ex- 
claimed the  broker,  heeding  nothing  else 
that  Chapman  was  saying.  "What  time 
was  that?" 

"About  ten  o'clock — perhaps  a  little 
after,"  Chapman  replied. 

"Good  God!  What  was  she  doing 
there?"  came  the  imperative  question. 

"She  had  been  calling  on  a  friend,  I 
suppose,"  was  the  wondering  answer.  "I 
did  not  ask  her!" 

"Morris!     Morris!"  Trevor  called. 

Lathrop  stepped  into  the  room,  but  he 
193 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

did  not  turn  his  eyes  in  Chapman's  direc- 
tion. 

Chapman,  smiling  cynically,  said: 
"Mr.   Lathrop  can  inform  you  as  to 
whom  she  called  upon,  for  he  also  was 
there." 

Then,  he  turned  abruptly,  and  left  the 
office. 


194 


CHAPTER  XVII 

FACE  TO  FACE  WITH  CONSEQUENCES 


,  pater,"  said  Morris  in- 
stantly,  speaking  before  Chap- 
man was  fairly  out  of  the  room.  "We'll 
do  our  talking  while  on  the  way."  When 
they  were  seated  in  the  carriage,  he  added: 
"That  man  Chapman  is  my  evil  genius, 
I  verily  believe.  I  had  almost  forgotten 
his  existence,  and  now  it  appears  that  he 
has  been  spying  upon  me  all  the  time. 
I'll  tell  you  whatever  there  is  to  tell. 
'Rita  came  to  my  room  one  day  to  see  me. 
Carla  heard  of  it.  Later,  she  heard  other 
things,  and  she  asked  me  to  explain. 
Because  I  would  not  tell  'Rita's  history, 
she  broke  the  engagement.  Last  night, 
after  we  left  'Rita,  she  called  at  the  Mil- 
lington.  She  was  there  when  I  returned. 
195 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

It  seems  that  sfye  met  Chapman  as  she 
went  away." 

"But  why  did  she  go  to  see  'Rita? 
Those  two  together!"  the  financier  ex- 
claimed. "Ah!  If  they  had  only 
known!" 

The  younger  man  placed  one  hand  on 
his  companion's  knee,  and,  gazing  ear- 
nestly into  his  face,  said  sternly : 

"Pater,  neither  Carla  nor  Edna  shall 
ever  know.  Promise  me  that!" 

"Why,  Morris,  why?  Why  must  they 
never  know?  'Rita  is  their  sister — they 
are  all  my  children.  It  is  not  Carla  or 
Edna  whom  I  fear  to  tell:  it  is  'Rita. 
God  only  knows  how  I  can  find  the 
strength  to  tell  her.  How  shall  I  ever 
tell  her  about  her  mother?" 

"You  cannot — you  must  not — you  shall 
not  tell  any  of  them!"  Lathrop  insisted. 
"Pater  listen  to  me.  There  is  a  chapter 
of  that  history  connected  with  your  past 
which  you,  even,  do  not  know.  Silence 
196 


FACE  TO  FACE 

is  your  only  safeguard.     You  must  not 
speak." 

"Not  yet — not  yet,  perhaps,"  the 
broker  agreed.  "But  Morris,  you  must 
surely  come  to  me  to-night." 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  said,  "I  shall  come  to 
you  to-night." 

On  their  arrival  at  the  house,  Edna  met 
them  in  the  hall,  and,  while  Trevor 
hurried  to  the  bedside  of  his  daughter,  she 
told  the  details  of  the  accident  to  Lathrop. 
It  appeared  that  the  injury  was  not,  after 
all,  very  serious.  Carla's  left  arm  had 
been  broken,  and  she  was  sufFering  from 
shock,  mental  as  well  as  physical,  but  the 
physicians  predicted  a  speedy  recovery. 
When  he  had  received  this  information, 
Lathrop  hurried  away,  and  went  directly 
to  the  offices  of  the  Herald.,  where  he 
wrote  an  advertisement  for  insertion  in 
the  personal  column,  to  this  effect: 

'  'Rita :     It  is  most  important  that  you 
should  return  home  at  once.     If  you  con- 
197 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

sider  my  happiness,  you  will  do  this." 
He  did  not  sign  the  notice,  inasmuch  as 
he  knew  that  the  girl  would  instantly 
know  him  as  the  writer  of  it.  He  was 
endeavoring  now  to  analyze  the  effect, 
that  the  rupture  with  Carla  and  the  flight 
of  Clarita  had  had  upon  him.  He  carried 
his  memory  back  to  the  moment  when 
Carla  returned  the  ring  to  him,  and  he 
was  moved  to  wonder  that  her  dismissal 
of  him  should  have  affected  him  so 
strongly.  In  this  moment,  he  perceived 
that  the  disappearance  of  'Rita  was  a  far 
greater  grief  to  him.  Something  of  the 
truth  began  to  reveal  itself  to  his  heart. 
"I  have  worshiped  a  masterpiece  of  sculp- 
ture," he  mused,  "and  I  have  seen  it  step 
down  from  its  pedestal,  and  become  com- 
mon clay.  That  transformation  has 
changed  everything  for  me."  He  re- 
called, too,  Chapman's  statement  as  to 
Carla's  meditated  departure  for  Europe, 
and  wondered  over  this  fact.  Trevor 
198 


FACE  TO  FACE 

had  interrupted  the  fellow  ere  the  expla- 
nation had  been  completed,  but  Lathrop 
readily  guessed  the  truth  as  to  the  girl's 
purpose.  Maddened  by  her  own  mis- 
takes, after  leaving  the  presence  of  the 
one  whom  she  had  so  bitterly  and  so 
unjustly  attacked,  she  had  impulsively 
determined  on  a  far  flight.  Outwardly 
calm  and  self-possessed  as  always,  she  had 
permitted  Chapman  to  observe  no  sign  of 
her  excitement.  On  the  spur  of  the  mo- 
ment when  she  encountered  him,  she  had 
invented  her  explanation  concerning  the 
tickets,  and  had  accepted  the  readily- 
proffered  aid  of  this  chance-comer.  In 
consequence,  Chapman,  knowing  her 
intention  and  commissioned  by  her  to  aid 
in  its  fulfilment,  had  met  her  at  the  pier 
to  deliver  the  tickets  to  her,  and  had  been 
present  when  the  accident  occurred.  But 
there  remained  the  question  as  to  how 
Chapman  had  chanced  to  be  at  the  door 
of  the  Millington  when  she  issued  from 
199 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

the  apartment-house.  Lathrop  believed 
that  the  answer  to  this  was  simplicity 
itself:  The  fellow  had  been  spying  on 
the  man  who  had  shamed  him.  Never- 
theless, the  ultimate  purpose  of  such 
espionage  remained  a  matter  of  mystery. 

The  restraints  that  had  been  imposed 
upon  him,  his  constant  worries  and  sus- 
tained excitements  produced  their  evitable 
results  on  the  young  man  who  was  their 
victim.  At  once  on  his  return  to  his 
apartment,  Lathrop  dropped  down  on  a 
sofa,  and  fell  sound  asleep. 

When  he  awoke,  it  was  with  a  start  of 
dismay,  for  he  realized  instantly  that  he 
had  slept  for  a  long  time.  A  glance  at 
his  watch  showed  him  that  he  was  already 
late  for  his  engagement  at  the  house  of 
Trevor.  He  sprang  to  the  telephone, 
and  attempted  to  get  the  financier  on  the 
wire,  but  the  call  remained  unanswered. 
He  had  no  time  to  make  further  efforts 
in  this  direction,  for  there  was  before  him 
200 


FACE  TO  FACE 

the  more  vital  duty  of  meeting  Jack 
Millington.  Therefore,  he  hastened  to 
call  a  cab,  and  make  his  way  to  the  Grand 
Central  Station,  where  he  arrived  just  as 
the  passengers  were  getting  out  of  the 
Chicago  train.  Presently,  his  friend  ap- 
peared, and  a  moment  later  they  were 
shaking  hands  cordially. 

"The  governor  is  coming  over,"  was 
the  young  millionaire's  first  announce- 
ment, when  the  two  men  were  snugly  en- 
sconced in  Lathrop's  apartment.  "He'll 
be  here  in  three  days.  It's  something 
about  that  X.  L. — his  pet  stock.  Some- 
thing's wrong  somewhere.  It  must  be 
straightened  out  before  he  gets  here,  or 
there'll  be  the  devil  to  pay!" 


201 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  MAN   BEHIND  THE  DOOR 

WHAT  further  might  have  been 
said  on  the  subject  was  inter- 
rupted by  a  ringing  of  the  door-bell,  and, 
while  Millington  rushed  into  the  room 
assigned  to  him,  Lathrop  went  to  the 
door,  where  he  found  George  Trevor,  in 
a  state  of  perturbation. 

"Come  in,  pater,"  was  the  young  man's 
greeting.  "I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not 
keep  my  appointment  with  you  to-night. 
I  dropped  asleep,  and,  when  I  awoke,  it 
was  too  late.  I  tried  to  get  you  over  the 
telephone,  but  I  failed.  .  .  .  How  is 
Carla?" 

"She  is  better,"  Trevor  replied.  "She 
is  in  no  danger.  .  .  .  But,  Morris,  I 
must  know — " 

202 


THE  MAN  BEHIND  THE  DOOR 

"Wait  a  minute,  please,"  Lathrop  inter- 
rupted. "Surely,  we  do  not  have  to  talk 
business  to-night." 

"I  must  talk  business  to-night,"  came 
the  impatient  answer.  "That  is  what  I 
came  here  for.  It's  about  that — " 

"Oh,  yes,"  the  young  man  broke  in 
again,  fearful  lest  Millington  should  hear. 
"It's  about  that  matter  between  us. 
Eh?" 

The  financier  regarded  Lathrop  per- 
plexedly, at  the  unusual  manner  displayed 
by  his  friend.  But,  suddenly,  an  explan- 
ation occurred  to  him. 

"Perhaps,  you,  also,  received  a  mes- 
sage?" he  said,  tentatively. 

Lathrop  nodded,  since  he  had  not  a 
notion  what  else  to  do.  He  felt  that,  at 
all  hazards,  he  must  prevent  Trevor  from 
referring  in  words  to  the  X.  L.  stock, 
inasmuch  as  Millington  in  the  adjoining 
room  could  hear  everything  that  was  said. 
Nevertheless,  he  was  in  honor  bound  not 
203 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

to  warn  his  companion  of  the  presence  of 
a  third  person  in  the  apartment. 

"Well  here  is  mine.  Read  it,"  con* 
tinued  the  broker,  extending  an  envelope 
toward  Lathrop.  "After  you  have  read 
it,  I'll  show  you  my  reply,  for  I  did  reply. 
Read  it." 

The  young  man  took  the  message  from 
its  envelope,  and  spread  it  out  before  him. 
A  glance  told  him  that  it  was  a  cablegram. 
He  read: 

"Positive  information  you  have  block 
X.  L.  stock.  Where  did  you  get  it? 

"SAM   MlLLINGTON." 

"Well?"  Lathrop  said,  as  he  looked  up 
inquiringly.  By  a  mighty  effort,  he 
spoke  with  the  utmost  calmness. 

"Now,  read  my  reply,"  the  financier  di- 
rected. "Then,  I'll  tell  you  about  it. 
Here  it  is." 

Again,  Lathrop  read  in  silence: 

"Sam     Millington,     Paris,      France: 
None  of  your  business.     Trevor." 
204 


THE  MAN  BEHIND  THE  DOOR 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?"  demanded' 
the  older  man,  smiling  grimly. 

Lathrop  laughed  aloud. 

"It's  to  the  point,"  he  conceded. 
"When  did  you  receive  the  message?" 

"That's  the  devil  of  it!  It  came  three 
days  ago,  and  was  delivered  at  the  house. 
Edna  received  it,  and  of  course  forgot  ail- 
about  it.  She  gave  it  to  me  to-night. 
Now,  what  does  it  mean?" 

"Whatever  it  means,  pater,  it  cannot 
affect  you,  can  it?" 

"I'm  not  so  sure  about  that.  It  may, 
mightily.  Anyhow,  I  don't  want  the 
stuff  on  my  hands  any  longer.  By  the 
way,  did  you  wire  your  friend  that  he 
could  come  into  the  deal?" 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  declared;  "it  is  all 
right,  and  will  be  arranged  to-mor- 
row." 

"I  am  sorry  now  that  I  gave  my  con- 
sent," the  financier  said,  thoughtfully. 
"But  I  won't  withdraw  it.  You  see, 
205 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

Morris,  young  Millington  is  very  clever — 
cleverer  by  far  than  is  Sam  himself. 
Either  of  them  would  put  up  a  game  on 
me  in  a  minute,  if  he  could.  That  cable 
from  Sam  makes  me  believe  that  some 
scheme  is  afoot.  .  .  .  Look  here, 
Morris,  I  want  to  know  just  one  thing: 
Is  that  stock  yours,  or  did  you  borrow  it 
from  Jack  Millington?" 

Before  this  crucial  question,  Lathrop 
did  not  hesitate,  perceptibly. 

"I  have  never  borrowed  anything  from 
Jack  Millington  in  my  life,"  he  declared, 
earnestly.  "Does  that  satisfy  you,  sir?" 

"Perfectly;  and  it  relieves  me  might- 
ily," the  financier  answered,  smiling. 
But,  presently,  he  frowned  again. 
'Where  is  'Rita?"  he  demanded,  abruptly. 
"When  you  failed  to  come  to  the  house 
to-night,  I  went  up  there,  partly  to  see 
her,  partly  in  the  hope  of  running  across 
you.  I  learned  that  she  went  away  this 
morning.  You  know  of  her  absence,  for 
206 


THE  MAN  BEHIND  THE  DOOR 

the  maid  told  me  of  your  calling  there 
to-day.  Where  is  she,  Morris?" 

"Why,  visiting  some  of  her  Spanish 
friends,  I  fancy,"  Lathrop  replied, 
negligently.  "Certainly  her  absence  for 
a  day  or  two  is  nothing  to  alarm  us." 

"Well,  perhaps  it  is  not,"  the  broker 
agreed,  dubiously.  "But,  taken  along 
with  the  fact  of  Carla's  going  there,  I 
felt  uneasy  dver  it,  though  I  can  hardly 
tell  why."  After  a  little  more  desultory 
chat,  the  old  man  took  his  leave. 

When  he  was  again  alone,  Lathrop 
stood  for  a  time  with  clenched  hands  and 
compressed  lips.  His  face  was  pale,  and 
his  eyes  had  in  them  an  expression  of 
trouble  that  was  new,  for  he  realized  the 
fact  that  George  Trevor  had  said  suffi- 
cient to  make  Jack  Millington  cognizant 
of  the  whole  truth  concerning  the  stolen 
securities.  He  had  lately  ventured  to 
hope  that  he  might  keep  these  things  from 
the  knowledge  of  the  young  financier ;  or, 
207 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

if  they  had  to  be  told,  that,  at  least,  he 
himself  might  have  the  telling  of  them. 
Now,  as  he  believed,  Trevor's  visit  had 
rendered  his  situation  far  more  desperate 
than  it  had  ever  been  before.  The  revela- 
tion had  been  made.  There  remained, 
then,  only  to  face  the  result,  nor  was 
aught  to  be  gained  by  postponing  the  in- 
evitable moment  of  reckoning. 


208 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   WHIM   OF    CUPID 

LATHROP  turned  to  the  door 
through  which  Millington  had 
made  his  retreat,  and  called  out: 

"Jack!" 

There  was  no  reply,  and  he  waited  for 
a  moment,  then  called  again.  Still  re- 
ceiving no  answer,  he  went  through  the 
rooms  in  search,  only  to  find  that  his  guest 
had  disappeared.  The  fact  first  as- 
tonished him,  then  troubled  him,  then 
pleased  him.  It  was  certain  that  Milling- 
ton  had  gone  out;  there  was,  therefore, 
the  possibility  that  he  had  left  ere  the  vital 
words  of  Trevor's  conversation  had  been 
spoken.  Lathrop  returned  to  the  parlor 
of  his  suite,  and  awaited  the  coming  of 
his  friend  in  a  fever  of  anxiety.  Ten 
209 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

minutes  later,  the  bell  sounded  again,  and 
he  opened  the  door  to  his  guest. 

"Missed  me,  did  you?"  Millington 
asked,  with  a  smile,  as  he  entered  the 
room,  and  deposited  his  bulk  in  a  con- 
venient chair.  "Well,  I  wanted  to  stretch 
my  legs  a  bit,  you  know — they  were  ach- 
ing with  cramps  from  the  sleeper.  So,  I 
hunted  up  a  golf  cap  of  yours  out  there, 
let  myself  out  by  the  other  door,  and  took 
a  stroll  around  the  block.  I  fancied,  too, 
that  the  old  man  might  have  something 
private  to  discuss  with  you,  and,  if  I'd 
stayed,  I'd  have  had  to  hear,  which 
wouldn't  have  been  fair." 

Lathrop  regarded  his  friend  search- 
ingly,  but  he  made  no  further  reference 
at  this  time  to  the  subject  uppermost  in 
his  thoughts.  He  derived  much  comfort 
from  the  fact  that  his  guest's  manner  was 
as  bluff  and  hearty  as  ever. 

"Jack,"  he  said  at  last,  "there  is  some- 
210 


THE  WHIM  OF  CUPID 

ithing  I  want  to  say  to  you;  or,  rather, 
something  I  ought  to  say  to  you.  I  do 
not  think  that  there  will  ever  be  a  better 
time  than  now." 

"What  is  it  about?  Business?"  Mil- 
lington  lazily  took  his  cigar  from  his 
mouth,  and  blew  a  cloud  of  smoke  into  the 
air. 

"Yes." 

"Well,  I  don't  want  to  hear  it,"  was  the 
curt  announcement.  "Won't  hear  it,  in 
fact." 

"But  it  is  important!"  Lathrop  urged. 

"Bosh!  Nothing  is  important  at  this 
time  of  night.  I'm  tired  of  business,  and 
want  to  forget  it  for  awhile.  Besides, 
there  is  something  not  business  that  I  wish 
to  talk  about." 

Lathrop,  despite  his  firmness  of  pur- 
pose, experienced  a  thrill  of  relief. 
Nevertheless,  he  made  one  further  effort 
toward  confession. 

211 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"It's  about  a  matter  that  Trevor  and  I 
referred  to  while  I  supposed  you  were  in 
the  next  room,"  he  said. 

"Confound  Trevor,  and  the  next  room, 
too!"  Millington  commented.  "I  went 
out,  and  so  didn't  hear  it,  you  see.  You 
would  have  to  go  over  the  whole  affair, 
whatever  it  is.  It's  too  much  trouble, 
now.  Besides,  I  want  to  talk  about 
something  else." 

Lathrop  permitted  himself  to  be  per- 
suaded. 

"Very  well.  What  is  it?"  he  ques- 
tioned, with  infinite  relief. 

"Do  you  remember  the  last  thing  you 
said  to  me  before  I  started  for  Chicago?" 
came  the  counter  interrogation. 

"No.  Something  about  the  Cummings 
affair,  wasn't  it?" 

"It  had  nothing  to  do  with  business; 

but  it  has  been  on  my  mind  ever  since. 

You  remember,  you  made  this  remark — 

I  can  quote  the  exact  words:     'She  is  not 

212 


THE  WHIM  OF  CUPID 

for  you,  unless—  You  stopped  there, 
and,  when  I  said,  'Unless  what?'  you  re- 
plied that  you  would  tell  me  after  I 
returned  from  Chicago.  Now,  Morris,  I 
have  made  you  think  it  was  the  governor's 
cable  sent  me  home.  It  wasn't!  It  was 
that:  I  wanted  to  hear  the  rest  of  the 
sentence." 

Lathrop  continued  silent  for  so  long 
an  interval  that  the  other  finally  turned 
to  stare  curiously  at  him. 

"Well?"  he  demanded,  presently. 
"Are  you  going  to  complete  that  sen- 
tence?" 

"Yes,  I  will  complete  it,"  Lathrop  an- 
swered; "I  will  complete  it  as  I  would 
have  done  then.  But,  Jack,  I  am  not 
sure  I  would  say  the  same  thing  now.  If 
I  had  completed  the  sentence  at  that  time, 
it  would  have  been :  'Unless  you  want  to 
marry  a  woman  without  a  past.' ' 

"Eh?  What's  that?"  Millington  ex- 
claimed. Then,  he  added  quickly:  "As 
213 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

for  that,  Morris,  I'd  much  rather  have 
one  without  a  past,  than  with  one.  But 
you  know  about  her  past,  don't  you?" 

"I  have  said  that  she  is  without  one, 
Jack.  It  is  a  matter  that  cannot  be  dis- 
cussed, even  between  us.  I  will  say  only 
one  thing,  and  that  must  end  all  dis- 
cussions of  her.  God  never  made  a 
purer,  sweeter,  or  truer  woman  than 
Clarita  Ortega." 

"That  is  just  the  idea  I  have  had  ever 
since  I  saw  her.  But,  Morris,"  Milling- 
ton  continued,  with  a  keen  glance,  "I 
more  than  half-believed  that  you  are  in 
love  with  her  yourself." 

"I  more  than  half -believed  it  myself," 
Lathrop  admitted.  In  the  smile  which 
accompanied  the  words,  there  was  more 
of  sadness  than  of  mirth. 

"What?  While  you  are  engaged  to 
another?"  came  the  indignant  exclama- 
tion. 

"My  engagement  with  Carla  Trevor  is 
214 


THE  WHIM  OF  CUPID 

at  an  end,"  Lathrop  explained.  "It  will 
never  be  renewed." 

Millington  uttered  an  ejaculation  of 
dismay,  and  his  tone,  when  he  spoke,  was 
dismal. 

"Look  here,  Morris,"  he  said.  "Are 
you  going  to  ask  Miss  Ortega  to  marry 
you?" 

"I  have  already  done  so,"  was  the  quiet 
answer.  Millington  regarded  his  host 
with  much  disapproval. 

"You  didn't  lose  any  time,  did  you?" 
he  remarked;  and  his  voice  was  bitterly 
sarcastic.  He  got  up  from  his  chair,  and 
crossed  the  room  to  the  fireplace  where  he 
stood  for  several  moments,  silently  regard- 
ing the  glowing  coals.  Then  he  returned 
and  calmly  resumed  his  seat. 

"When  is  it  coming  off?"  he  asked. 

"She  has  refused  me,"  Morris  answered. 

"Refused  you!"  Millington  bounded  to 
his  feet  again,  and  crossed  to  the  grate 
once  more.  Here  he  turned  his  back  to 
215 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

the  fire  and  stood  with  his  feet  wide-apart 
and  his  hands  behind  him.  When,  finally, 
he  broke  the  silence,  his  voice  was  graver 
than  its  wont. 

"Old  man,"  he  said,  almost  plaintively, 
"I  am  going  to  be  downright  serious  for 
once.  Tell  me :  Is  there  any  reason  why  I 
should  not  ask  Clarita  Ortega  to  be  my 
wife?" 

"None,"  was  the  ready  answer. 

"She  is,  somehow,  in  your  care,  isn't 
she?"  Millington  continued,  curiously. 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  replied.  "She  is  really 
although  not  legally,  my  ward.  She  is  a 
trust  that  came  to  me  through  a  peculiar 
chain  of  circumstances,  which  I  am  not 
free  to  explain." 

"I  do  not  ask  for  any  explanation,"  was 
the  prompt  retort.  "You  have  told  me 
enough.  The  fact  is,  as  you  must  have 
guessed,  that  I  fell  heels  over  head  in  love 
with  her,  at  first  sight.  Why,  I've  hardly 
done  anything  else  since  I  went  to  Chicago 
216 


but  think  of  hen  I  made  things  hum 
there,  just  in  order  that  I  might  get  back 
here,  and  ask  you  to  complete  that  sentence 
for  me.  And,  now  that  I've  heard  it,  it  is 
sf  no  importance  whatever.  What  I  wish 
to  know  is  this :  Have  I  your  permission  to 
pay  my  court  to  her?" 

"Jack,"  Lathrop  made  reply,  speaking 
with  impressive  emphasis,  "there  is  not  a 
man  whom  I  would  rather  see  her  husband 
than  you—  He  hesitated  for  a  moment, 
and  his  eyes  fell  before  the  shrewd  gaze  of 
his  friend. 

"Except  yourself!"  Millington  cried; 
and  there  was  bitterness  in  his  voice. 

"Leave  me  out  of  the  question,  please," 
Lathrop  rejoined.  "There  is  not  a  man  in 
whose  hands  I  would  so  willingly  place  her 
future.  I  do  not  think  that  anybody 
would  make  a  more  earnest  effort  for  her 
happiness,  and  if  you  can  win  her,  I  shall 
be  the  first  to  say,  God  bless  you  both. 
But  you  must  not  permit  yourself  to  in- 
217 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

dulge  in  false  hopes.  I  do  not  think  that 
'Rita  will  ever  be  your  wife.  I  know  that 
she  loves  another." 

Millington  ran  one  hand  around  his  col- 
lar, stroked  his  moustache,  and  then  asked : 

"Is  that  why  she  refused  you?" 

Lathrop  hesitated  for  a  little,  but,  fi- 
nally, he  answered  firmly: 

"Yes,  literally,  that  is  why  she  refused 
me." 

"Well,"  Millington  declared,  "I  won't 
give  up  until  I'm  beaten.  You  have  no 
objection  to  my  calling  upon  her?" 

"No,"  Lathrop  said.  "But  she  went 
away  this  morning,  without  telling  me 
where  she  was  going.  She  will  notify  me 
when  she  returns,  and  I  shall  let  you  know 
at  once.  That  is  all  I  can  promise." 


218 


CHAPTER  XX 

JACK  MILLINGTON'S  BUSY  DAY 

THE  following  morning,  Jack  Mil- 
lington  made  arrangements  for  La- 
throp  to  complete  the  matter  of  his  being 
let  into  the  copper  deal  with  Trevor; 
instructed  him  fully  what  to  do  in  order  to 
place  the  million  dollars  he  had  promised 
at  the  disposal  of  the  broker,  and  for  him- 
self, stated  that  he  would  keep  close  in- 
doors all  day. 

"You  see,"  he  explained,  "it  won't  do 
for  Cummings  and  that  crowd  to  know 
that  I  am  back  just  yet.  Besides  I  want 
to  rest,  and,  incidentally,  to  do  a  little  plot- 
ting of  my  own.  There  are  plenty  of 
books  to  read  here.  I  sha'n't  be  lone- 
some." 

But  Lathrop  had  been  gone  less  than 
219 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

half-an-hour,  when  Millington  rang  and 
ordered  a  cab.  As  soon  as  it  came,  he  en- 
tered it,  drew  the  curtains,  and  directed 
the  driver  to  take  him  to  the  Westmore- 
land Safety  Deposit  vaults.  There,  he 
entered  hurriedly,  nodded  to  the  superin- 
tendent, passed  on  through  the  massive 
doorway,  and  went  straight  to  the  vault 
from  which  Lathrop  had  taken  the  securi- 
ties which  he  had  loaned  to  Trevor. 

"Lucky  thing  the  governor  left  two 
keys  with  me,"  he  muttered.  "I'll  find 
out  about  this  thing  at  once." 

He  spent  nearly  half-an-hour  in  his  in- 
vestigations, then  closed  and  locked  the 
vault  again,  and  started  out,  carrying  a 
bundle  of  documents  under  his  arm. 

The  superintendent  stopped  him  as  he 
was  passing. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Millington,"  he  said,  "Mr. 
Lathrop  was  here  one  day  while  you  were 
'gone.     He  gave  me  a  letter  for  you." 
220 


JACK'S  BUSY  DAY 

"Well,  what  of  it?"  came  the  brusque 
query. 

"I  merely  wanted  your  assurance  that  it 
was  all  right,  sir." 

"Certainly  it  was  all  right,"  Millington 
retorted  testily.  "What  the  devil  would  I 
give  him  the  letter  for,  if  it  were  not  all 
right?  By  the  way,  where  is  that  letter?" 

"On  my  file,  sir." 

"Well,  let  me  have  it.  I  want  to  pre- 
serve it  with  some  other  papers." 

Five  minutes  later,  with  the  letter  in 
his  pocket,  Millington  reentered  the  cab, 
and  had  himself  driven  to  the  Millington, 
where  he  took  the  elevator  to  the  second 
floor,  and  rang  the  bell  of  Clarita's  apart- 
ment. 

When  the  maid  opened  the  door,  he 
stepped  quickly  inside.  As  he  did  so,  he 
was  sure  that  he  heard  the  rustle  of  gar- 
ments, as  of  someone  scurrying  away. 

"Where  is  your  mistress?"  he  asked. 
221 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"She  is  away,  sir,"  the  maid  answered, 
somewhat  disturbed  by  the  visitor's  im- 
perious manner. 

"Do  you  know  where  I  could  send  a  let- 
ter so  that  she  would  receive  it?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Do  you  know  when  she  will  return?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Well,"  Millington  remarked,  after  a 
deliberative  pause,  "can  you  give  me  a 
sheet  of  paper  and  an  envelope?  I'll  leave 
a  note  for  her."  He  slipped  a  bill  into 
Marie's  hand,  and  walked  into  the  parlor, 
where  the  girl  presently  brought  him  writ- 
ing materials. 

"There,"  he  said,  when  he  had  written 
and  sealed  the  note,  "when  your  mistress 
returns,  give  her  that."  Without  another 
word,  he  rose,  and  passed  out  of  the  house, 
and  was  soon  rapidly  driven  toward  La- 
throp's  apartment. 

For   some   reason,   young   Millington 
seemed  to  be  very  greatly  pleased  with 
222 


JACK'S  BUSY  DAY 

himself.  There  was  a  smile  on  his  face, 
and  he  chuckled  audibly  several  times  dur- 
ing the  ride. 

"Smart  girl,  that,"  he  muttered  aloud, 
"But  not  smart  enough  to  fool  me;  not 
quite!  Caught  on  in  a  minute!  Clever 
though  — deucedly  clever!  One  thing's 
certain.  I  must  look  somewhere  else  for  a 
wife.  But,  after  all,  I  guess  I'm  not  so 
hard  bit  but  what  I  can  get  over  it. 
Whew!  Morris  has  got  himself  into  a 
mess  all  around,  and  —  good  God !" 

As  he  looked  from  the  window  of  the 
cab  his  glance  had  fallen  upon  no  less  a 
personage  than  his  own  father,  who  was 
quietly  strolling  along  the  street. 

"Foxy  old  duffer!"  continued  Milling- 
ton,  as  he  drove  on.  "Left  those  cables  to 
be  sent  when  he  was  three  or  four  days  out 
— probably  sent  a  half-a-dozen  others,  too. 
Fooled  the  whole  Street.  Good  heavens! 
He'll  have  his  claws  on  Morris,  if  I  don't 
do  something  to  interfere.  Maybe  it 
223 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

would  have  been  better  if  I  had  let  him 
know  that  I  did  hear  what  Trevor  said  last 
night." 

The  cab  came  to  a  stop  just  then,  and 
bidding  the  driver  wait  for  him,  Milling- 
ton  darted  into  the  house,  and  up  the 
single  flight  of  stairs.  As  he  reached  the 
landing,  he  collided  with  a  lady. 

"Beg  pardon!"  he  exclaimed,  drawing 
back.  Then  he  started.  "Hello!"  he 
continued.  "I'm  blessed  if  it  isn't  little 
Edna  Trevor — leastwise,  you  were  little 
when  I  saw  you  last." 

"Well,  I'm  grown  up  now,  Jack  Mil- 
lington,"  was  the  spirited  retort,  and  the 
girl  tossed  her  head  defiantly. 

"So  you  are,  to  be  sure.  Well,  I'm 
glad  to  see  you.  You're  just  the  person  I 
want.  Come  in  here."  Without  more 
ado,  he  hurried  the  girl  to  Lathrop's  door, 
unlocked  it,  and  thrust  her  inside.  Then 
he  closed  the  door  with  a  bang. 

"Do  you  think  that  this  is  exactly  the 
224 


JACK'S  BUSY  DAY 

proper  thing  to  do,  Mr.  Millington?™ 
Edna  asked,  her  eyes  twinkling  mischiev- 
ously. 

"Bother  propriety!"  Millington  ex- 
claimed. "I've  got  something  a  heap 
more  important  to  think  of  than  that,  just 
now.  Look  here,  Edna :  You  and  Morris 
are  friends,  aren't  you?" 

"What  do  you  mean?"  the  girl  question- 
ed, completely  mystified  hy  the  young 
man's  manner  and  words.  "Certainly,  we 
are." 

"Well,"  Millington  continued,  speak- 
ing very  rapidly,  "are  you  willing  to 
devote  your  afternoon  to  keeping  him  out 
of  a  scrape?  It's  uncommonly  serious, 
Edna,  and  I  am  in  dead-earnest  about 
this." 

"I  can  see  that  you  are,"  the  girl  agreed, 
with  a  smile.  "What  is  it  all  about?" 

*'I  haven't  time  to  explain  now,"  was  the 
reply.  "You  must  follow  my  directions, 
and  you  will  understand  everything  a  little 
225 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

later.  I  have  a  cab  at  the  door.  You 
must  take  it,  and  drive  to  your  father's 
office.  You'll  find  Morris  there.  When 
you  get  him  bring  him  here." 

"Shall  I  tell  him  that  you  are  here, 
Jack?"  Edna  asked.  She  had  already  ab- 
sorbed the  contagion  of  Millington's  ex- 
citement, and  her  volatile  nature  was  a- 
glow  with  eagerness  to  undertake  this  be- 
wildering adventure. 

"Yes,  yes,"  the  plotter  cried,  with  en- 
thusiasm at  the  suggestion.  "That's  the 
idea!  Tell  him,  I  have  met  with  an  acci- 
dent, been  run  over  by  an  automobile.  I'll 
have  an  ambulance  outside,  and  two  or 
three  doctors  in  attendance.  He'll  come 
fast  enough,  if  he  thinks  that  I  am  in  any 
danger.  You  must  make  me  out  as  al- 
most dead." 

"But  how  am  I  supposed  to  know  all 
about  this?"  Edna  queried. 

"Oh,  you  saw  the  accident.     You  were 
there  when  they  picked  me  up.     You  were 
226 


JACK'S  BUSY  DAY 

the  only  one  who  knew  me,  and  had  me 
brought  here.  Bring  him  here  as  soon  as 
ever  you  can.  Look  here,  Edna,  I'll  tell 
you  this  much:  My  governor  has  got 
home.  If  once  he  gets  his  clutches  on 
Morris,  he'll  send  him  to  jail." 

"Send  Morris  to  prison?"  cried  Edna. 

"Good  Lord!  What  have  I  said? 
Anyhow  if  you  don't  get  him  out  of  that 
office  and  away  from  that  part  of  the  city 
inside  of  an  hour,  he  will  be  ruined.  Can 
you  do  it,  Edna?" 

"I  can  do  it,  and  I  will  do  it!"  the  girl 
declared,  firmly.  "But  suppose  I  can't 
find  him?" 

"You  must  find  him!  Follow  him  all 
over  the  city,  but  get  him." 

"Shall  I  tell  him  that  your  father  is  in 
the  city,  and  that  there  is  danger  of — ?" 

"No,  no;  not  for  the  world!"  Milling- 
ton  commanded.  "Just  bring  him  here. 
Don't  on  my  account,  let  him  go  else- 
where." While  speaking,  the  young  man 
227 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

had  thrown  open  the  door,  and  now,  with- 
out another  word  exchanged  between 
them,  the  girl  hurried  forth  on  her  mission 
of  salvation. 


228 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SAM  MILLINGTON'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

OLD  Sam  Millington  had  arrived  in 
the  city,  on  a  French  line  steam- 
ship, about  three  o'clock  that  same 
morning.  He  had  traveled  across  the 
ocean  incognito,  and  had,  as  his  son 
shrewdly  guessed,  left  the  cable-message 
in  Paris  to  be  forwarded  several  days  after 
his  departure,  in  order  that  he  might 
arrive  in  New  York  much  sooner  than  he 
would  naturally  be  expected.  He  had  re- 
ceived reliable  information  that  George 
Trevor  had  hypothecated  a  large  block  of 
X.  L.  stock  with  the  bank  with  which  he 
did  business,  and,  inasmuch  as  he  believed 
that  he  knew  accurately  where  eveiy  share 
of  the  stock  was  located,  he  had  been 
greatly  puzzled  and  troubled  by  the  news. 
229 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

He  was  intensely  angry  as  well,  and,  the 
more  he  thought  of  the  matter,  the  angrier 
he  became,  so  that,  finally,  he  determined 
to  cut  short  his  visit  abroad,  and,  return- 
ing quietly,  to  investigate  the  matter  for 
himself.  First,  however,  he  had  made  the 
submarine  wires  warm  with  messages,  and 
for  some  time  half-a-dozen  detectives  had 
been  investigating  in  his  behalf.  In  that 
work,  they  had  been  materially  assisted  by 
Henry  Chapman,  who  had  been  old  Mil- 
lington's  principal  informant.  From  the 
evidence  he  had  received,  the  wily  old 
capitalist  drew  his  conclusions;  and  these 
covered  the  essential  facts  of  the  whole 
transaction. 

He  went  ashore  as  early  as  he  could,  and 
was  driven  at  once  to  an  uptown  club 
where  he  had  wired  Chapman  to  meet  him. 
Then,  after  a  long  talk,  during  which 
everything  was  accurately  planned,  the 
capitalist  started  down-town.  He  had 
230 


SAM'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

left  the  club-house  and  was  getting  into 
a  cab  when  his  son  saw  him.  He  was 
driven  at  once  to  the  Westmoreland  Safe- 
Deposit  vaults,  and  it  so  happened  that  the 
superintendent  with  whom  Jack  Milling- 
ton  had  talked  this  same  morning  was,  at 
the  moment,  off  duty,  so  that  the  old  man 
heard  nothing  of  his  son's  visit  there.  He 
passed  through  the  grating,  opened  his 
vault,  and  discovered  at  a  glance  that 
every  scrap  of  the  X.  L.  stock  was  missing 
— three  or  four  times  the  amount  he  be- 
lieved Lathrop  had  taken — and  he  became 
proportionately  angrier.  He  closed  the 
door  with  a  bang,  and  hastened  to  the 
nearest  magistrate,  before  whom  he  swore 
out  a  warrant.  Then,  accompanied  by  an 
officer  in  citizen's  clothes,  he  returned  to 
the  Westmoreland. 

"Do  you  know  Mr.  Morris  Lathrop?" 
inquired   the   capitalist   of   the   assistant 
superintendent,  who  was  in  charge. 
231 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Yes,  sir." 

"He  will  come  here  to-day.  He  has 
been  here  before,  hasn't  he?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Well,  he'll  come  again  to-day — as  soon 
as  he  finds  out  that  I  am  in  the  city;  and 
I  shall  very  soon  have  him  informed  of  the 
the  fact.  When  he  comes  admit  him  in- 
side the  grating,  and  let  this  man  follow 
him  in." 

"Very  well,  sir,"  the  official  promised; 
"it  shall  be  done." 

"And  you,"  Millington  continued,  turn- 
ing to  the  officer,  "will  wait  until  he  has 
the  door  of  the  vault  open  before  you  serve 
your  warrant.  The  minute  that  you  see 
him  coming,  call  up  75,346  Cortlandt, 
and  say,  'Stock's  booming'!  afterward, 
keep  him  till  I  get  here.  I  want  my 
instructions  carried  out  to  the  letter." 

He  went  out  then,  got  into  his  cab,  and 
was  driven  away.  Fifteen  minutes  later, 
he  walked  into  Trevor's  office,  with  that 
232 


SAM'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

alert,  imperative  manner  that  was  charac- 
teristic of  him,  and  pushed  his  way,  un- 
announced, into  the  presence  of  the  broker, 
who  .was  engaged  in  an  animated  conver- 
sation with  Morris  Lathrop.  Both  men 
looked  up  quickly  when  he  entered,  but 
neither  showed  the  amazement  he  felt. 
One  had  passed  through  many  years  of 
training  in  the  surprises  of  the  Street; 
the  other  had  himself  under  perfect  con- 
trol. 

"How  are  you,  Trevor?"  exclaimed  the 
capitalist,  in  exactly  the  same  manner  he 
would  have  said  the  words  had  he  been  in 
the  habit  of  dropping  in  every  day  at  the 
same  hour.  "Good  morning,  Lathrop. 
Just  got  back  this  morning!  Well,  Tre- 
vor, did  you  get  my  cable?" 

"Yes ;  and  answered  it,"  was  the  retort. 

"I  didn't  get  the  reply,"  Millington 
said.  "No  matter,  though.  I  see  you're 
busy  now.  What  time  this  afternoon  can 
I  see  you?" 

233 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Any  time,"  Trevor  said,  amiably. 
"I'm  here  till  four." 

"All  right,  I'll  run  in.  Are  you  a  new 
recruit  in  the  Street,  Lathrop?"  the  capi- 
talist continued,  turning  his  crafty  eyes  on 
the  young  man. 

"Oh,  yes,  of  sorts,"  Lathrop  replied, 
carelessly,  as  he  drummed  his  fingers  on 
a  packet  wrapped  in  brown  paper,  which 
he  was  holding.  "Did  you  have  a  pleas- 
ant voyage  over,  Mr.  Millington?" 

"Oh,  delightful.  Never  better!  I  sup- 
pose Jack  is  out  of  town,  isn't  he?" 

"I  received  a  wire  from  him,  from 
Chicago,  day  before  yesterday,"  Lath- 
rop anwered,  in  a  neutral  voice. 

"Well,  he'll  get  one  from  me  to-day. 
So  long!  See  you  kter,  Trevor."  The 
capitalist  went  out  as  briskly  as  he  had 
entered,  but  there  was  an  enigmatical 
smile  on  his  face  as  he  muttered: 

"Good  stuff  in  that  fellow.  Cool  as  a 
cucumber!  Pity  to  put  stripes  on  him, 
234 


SAM'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

but  it  can't  be  helped.  I  suspect  that 
Trevor  put  him  up  to  it.  The  old  fool 
ought  to  have  known  that  I'd  find  it  out. 
I  only  hope  I  can  prove  that  he  did  know 
about  it.  I'd  like  to  send  him  along  to 
keep  Lathrop  company!" 

"Now,  what  did  Millington  mean  by 
running  in  here  in  that  way?"  Trevor  de- 
manded, as  soon  as  the  capitalist  had  left 
the  office. 

"Probably,  to  question  you  about  this 
stock,"  Lathrop  replied,  tapping  the 
packet  again.  "He  found  me  here,  and 
put  it  off  till  later." 

"He  means  mischief,  somewhere,"  the 
financier  mused.  "I've  seen  that  glint  in 
his  eyes  before,  and  it  always  means 
trouble  for  somebody.  I  suppose  it's 
Jack  that  he's  after  this  time.  Anyhow, 
we  are  safe." 

Lathrop  made  no  direct  reply,  but  re- 
garded the  parcel  fondly. 

"I'll  hurry  along,  now,"  he  said,  after  a 
235 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

moment.  "You  don't  need  this  again, 
since  you  have  Jack's  million  and  the 
promise  of  more  if  you  want  it." 

"No,"  Trevor  declared.  "And  I'm 
more  glad  than  I  can  tell  you  to  get  that 
stock  off  my  hands." 

Lathrop  went  out  then,  entered  his  cab, 
and  gave  directions  that  he  be  driven  to 
the  Westmoreland  Safe  Deposit  Com- 
pany. He  did  not  see  the  face  of  Sam 
Millington  peering  at  him  from  a  window 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 

His  cab  had  just  turned  the  corner  into 
Broadway  when  the  one  containing  Edna 
dashed  up  to  her  father's  office.  She 
opened  the  door,  and  sprang  out.  almost 
before  the  vehicle  came  to  a  stop,  hastened 
inside,  and  gave  her  father  a  second  shock 
of  surprise. 

"Where  is  Morris?"  she  demanded,  be- 
fore the  broker  could  speak. 

"Just   gone   out;    not   a   minute   ago. 
What  is  the  matter?" 
236 


SAM'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

"Nothing.     Where  has  he  gone?" 

"Is  Carla— ?" 

"Carla  is  all  right — everything  is  all 
right.  But  I  wish  to  see  Morris.  Where 
did  he  go?" 

"He  went  from  here  to  the  Westmore- 
land Safe  Deposit  Company,"  the  father 
answered.  "What  do  you — ?" 

"Where  is  that?  Quick!  I  want  to 
catch  him,"  Edna  interrupted. 

"Broadway,  near  Chambers  Street. 
What  in  the  world—?" 

But  the  girl  was  gone  before  he  could 
complete  the  sentence. 

"Westmoreland  Safe-Deposit — Broad- 
way, near  Chambers,"  she  was  saying  to 
her  driver.  "Drive  as  fast  as  you  can;" 
and  she  was  whirled  away. 

As  she  darted  out  of  her  cab,  she  saw 
Lathrop  in  the  act  of  entering  the  door, 
and  she  called  to  him.  He  did  not  hear, 
so  she  started  on  a  run  after  him.  She 
remembered  afterward  that  several  men 
237 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

were  there,  and  that  one  of  them  was  in 
the  act  of  hanging  up  the  telephone- 
receiver.  Now,  however,  she  gave  no 
thought  to  aught  beside  her  errand. 

"Morris!"  she  cried,  shrilly. 

At  the  sound  of  the  girl's  excited  voice, 
Lathrop  wheeled. 

"Edna!"  he  exclaimed.  "What  is  it? 
What  has  happened?  What  is  the 
matter?" 

She  was  almost  breathless,  and  what  she 
said  between  gasps  seemed  to  paralyze  all 
present  with  astonishment. 

"Jack  Millington — he's  dying — run 
over  by  an  automobile — taken  to  your 
rooms — he  wants  you — come  with  me  at 
once — he  may  not  live  until  you  get 
there!" 

In  her  excitement,  which  was  as  real 
as  if  young  Millington  had  indeed  been 
on  the  point  of  breathing  his  last,  she 
seized  Lathrop  by  the  ,arm,  and  fairly 
dragged  him  through  the  door. 
238 


SAM'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

"There's  not  a  moment  to  lose,"  she 
panted.  "Your  horse  is  fresher  than 
mine.  Come!"  She  dashed  into  his  han- 
som, leaving  him  to  follow. 

"My  rooms!  Drive  for  your  life!" 
Morris  called  to  the  driver,  and  the  cab 
rolled  away. 

Back  in  the  office  of  the  safe-deposit 
company,  three  men  gazed  at  one  another 
in  astonishment,  from  which  they  did  not 
recover  until  the  hansom  containing  Lath- 
rop  and  Edna  was  far  on  its  way  uptown. 
Then,  one  of  them  sprang  to  the  tele- 
phone, and  called  excitedly  for  75,346 
Cortlandt. 

"Mr.  Millington  there?"  he  asked  as 
soon  as  the  connection  was  made. 

"Just  left  for  the  Westmoreland  Safe- 
Deposit,"  came  the  reply;  whereat  the 
man  hung  up  the  receiver — and  waited. 
There  was  nothing  else  to  do. 

Within  the  cab,  Edna  was  sobbing 
violently — so  violently  that  she  was  totally 
239 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

unable  to  reply  to  the  questions  Lathrop 
addressed  to  her.  Her  emotion  was 
partly  assumed,  but,  too,  partly  real,  for 
she  was  now  hysterical  from  the  excite- 
ment of  the  part  she  had  played,  and  she 
believed  that,  in  overtaking  Lathrop  as 
she  had,  she  had  saved  him  from  prison. 
Nevertheless,  she  still  strove  to  enact  her 
role. 

"Oh,  Morris,"  she  gasped,  following 
Millington's  instructions,  "I  saw  the  ac- 
cident. It  was  terrible!  I  was  the  only 
one  who  knew  him.  Your  rooms  were 
nearest.  I  didn't  know  where  else  to  take 
him.  He  was  conscious  all  the  time.  He 
wanted  you."  These  sentences  were 
uttered  at  intervals,  and  not  another  word 
could  Lathrop  get  from  her.  She  laid 
her  head  upon  his  shoulder,  and  continued 
to  sob  as  though  her  heart  would  break. 

When  they  reached  the  house,  there  was 
an  ambulance  at  the  door,  and,  as  they 
got  out  of  the  hansom,  it  started  away 
240 


SAM'S  LITTLE  SCHEME 

briskly.  It  had  been  called  by  the  plotter, 
and  the  surgeon  had  been  liberally  feed 
to  play  his  part;  as  had  the  hall-boys,  and 
the  attendant  in  the  elevator.  Lathrop, 
however,  did  not  pause  to  question  any  of 
these.  Instead,  with  Edna  following 
closely  behind  him,  he  leaped  up  the  stairs, 
two  steps  at  a  time.  But  the  girl  was 
smiling  through  her  tears  now,  for,  some- 
how, she  felt  that,  when  he  was  once  within 
his  room,  in  the  presence  of  Millington, 
he  must  be  safe. 

The  door  of  the  suite  was  open,  and  the 
parlor  had  been  darkened.  Two  men 
who  had  the  appearance  of  physicians 
stood  there.  The  odors  of  carbolic  acid 
and  of  iodoform  were  in  the  air.  Not  a 
detail  had  been  omitted  from  the  mise-en- 
scene. 

"Is  he  alive?"  Lathrop  demanded,  as  he 
darted  into  the  room. 

"Yes,  he  is  alive,"  one  of  the  men  made 
answer.  He  pointed  toward  the  door  and 
Morris  hastened  to  enter. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

LATHROP'S   CONFESSION 

JACK  MILLINGTON  knew  the 
man  with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  and 
he  had  been  careful  to  prepare  every  de- 
tail in  strict  accordance  with  the  conditions 
that  would  have  existed  if,  in  reality,  he 
had  been  injured  unto  death.  Therefore, 
when  Lathrop  entered  the  room,  he  found 
his  friend  stretched  upon  the  bed,  swathed 
in  bandages,  and  presenting  every  appear- 
ance of  one  most  severely  afflicted.  Had 
Millington  revealed  himself  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  perfect  health  which  he 
actually  possessed,  Lathrop's  anger  at  the 
hoax  played  on  him  must  have  rendered 
him  totally  unmanageable,  so  there  could 
have  been  no  possibility  of  rendering  him 
242 


LATHROP'S  CONFESSION 

the  intended  service.  Millington,  with 
this  fact  in  mind,  played  his  part  cun- 
ningly, convinced  that  the  necessary 
explanations  must  be  made  before  the 
fraud  was  discovered,  else  the  plot  of 
rescue  would  prove  a  failure.  Neither 
of  the  two  men,  for  the  time  being,  gave  a 
thought  to  Edna,  who  had  thrown  herself 
on  a  chair  in  the  parlor,  and  there  dis- 
solved in  tears.  The  girl  continued  to 
weep  quietly  until  fragments  of  the  con- 
versation in  the  next  room  came  to  her 
ears,  when  she  dismissed  all  scruples  con- 
cerning eavesdropping,  and  listened  in- 
tently, forgetting  to  weep. 

Lathrop  went  at  once  to  the  bedside  of 
his  friend,  and,  drawing  a  chair  close, 
murmured  brokenly: 

"Dear  old  chap!  I  left  you  so  strong 
and  well  this  morning  and  now— 

"It's  not  so  bad  as  the  physicians  think 
it  is,  Morris,"  Millington  declared,  in  a 
243 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

voice  which  he  strove  to  make  weak  and 
quavering.  "I'll  pull  through  all  right. 
Don't  worry  about  me." 

"Ought  you  to  talk,  Jack?"  Lathrop 
questioned,  anxiously. 

"Talk?  Yes!"  was  the  querulous  retort. 
"What  else  is  there  to  do?  Besides,  I  must 
talk.  There's  something  important  to  talk 
about.  You  see,  when  this  thing  first 
happened,  I  thought  I  was  going  off  the 
hooks,  and  I  couldn't  do  that  without 
telling  you  something  that  was  on  my 
mind.  I  owe  you  an  apology,  old  man, 
and  I  wanted  to  make  it  before  I  shuffled 
off." 

Lathrop  stared  bewilderingly  at  his 
friend. 

"Owe  me  an  apology?  I  don't  know 
what  it  can  be  about,  and  it  doesn't  matter. 
I  owe  you  more  than  that,  for  I  owe  you 
a  confession.  I  have  done  you  a  grievous 
wrong,  Jack.  Do  you  think  you  are 
strong  enough  to  hear  me?" 
244 


LATHROP'S  CONFESSION 

"Strong  enough?  Yes,"  Millington 
answered.  "But,  first,  let  me  make  my 
apology.  Maybe,  it  will  make  your  con- 
fessio'n  easier.  I  lied  to  you  last  night, 
Morris." 

"Lied  to  me!     What  about?" 

"About  that  conversation  you  had  with 
Trevor.  I  heard  every  word  of  it." 

"Ah!"  Lathrop's  face  whitened,  but  he 
regarded  his  friend  unflinchingly. 

"I  did,  old  man,"  Millington  went  on. 
"Of  course,  I  couldn't  quite  understand, 
although  I  think  I  made  a  pretty  good 
guess  about  it.  After  you  were  gone  this 
morning,  I  went  down  to  the  Westmore- 
land, and  investigated.  Then,  I  came 
uptown  again,  and  on  the  street  I  spied 
the  governor.  I  knew,  of  course,  that  he 
had  it  in  for  somebody,  and  that  you  were 
undoubtedly  the  man.  Next,  I  ran  into 
a  motor-car — and  you  know  the  rest. 
What  have  you  there  in  that  package?" 

Lathrop  had  forgotten  that  he  still  held 
245 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

the  packet  of  stock  in  his  left  hand.  He 
was  dazed  by  what  his  friend  had  just 
said,  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  was  con- 
scious of  a  sense  of  infinite  relief  that  the 
secret  was  out  at  last.  He  made  no  effort 
at  avoidance  or  equivocation,  but  spoke 
immediately  and  in  an  unfaltering  voice : 

"I  have  the  X.  L.  stock  that  I  stole 
from  your  father's  vault  at  the  Westmore- 
land with  the  aid  of  the  key  that  you  left 
in  my  keeping.  What  is  more,  I  was  only 
able  to  get  it  back  to-day,  because  of  the 
million  dollars  that  you  put  in  the  copper- 
deal  through  me  this  morning." 

"That's  just  what  I  thought,"  Milling- 
ton  exclaimed.  "Now,  before  you  say 
another  word,  I  want  you  to  do  just  as  I 
tell  you.  Give  me  a  sip  of  that  medicine 
in  the  tumbler  on  the  table.  The  doctor 
said  I  could  talk  all  I  wanted  to,  if  I'd 
taste  of  that  once  in  a  while.  Thank  you ! 
Now,  feel  under  the  pillow  on  the  other 
side  of  the  bed.  Have  you  got  it?" 
246 


LATHROP'S  CONFESSION 

"A  package?     Yes." 

"Open  it.  What  do  you  find?"  Mil- 
lington  demanded. 

Lathrop  uttered  an  exclamation  of  sur- 
prise, for  he  held  in  his  hand  a  bundle  of 
certificates  of  the  same  stock  that  was  in 
his  own  packet.  But  he  controlled  his 
emotion,  and  replied,  evenly: 

"More  of  the  kind  of  stock  that  I  stole." 

"Precisely!"  Millington  agreed.  "Give 
me  another  sip  of  that  medicine.  Thanks ! 
Now,  open  the  package  that  you  brought 
with  you,  and  put  all  of  the  stock  together. 
Then,  tie  it  up  in  the  paper  that  was  under 
the  pillow.  Do  as  I  tell  you;  don't  stand 
there,  gaping.  I'm  likely  to  have  another 
hemorrhage  at  any  minute,  and  I  don't 
want  to  peg  out  until  I  get  through  with 
you." 

Lathrop  obeyed  without  a  word,  for  he 
feared  the  effect  of  opposition  or  excite- 
ment upon  his  injured  friend.  He 
glanced  vaguely  in  the  direction  of  the 
247 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

door  that  connected  the  room  with  the 
adjoining  one,  and  Millington,  correctly 
interpreting  the  glance,  said: 

"I  told  them  all  to  go  out  and  walk 
around  the  block  when  you  came  in. 
There  is  nobody  there."  Again,  he  for- 
got Edna.  "Have  you  got  the  package 
tied  up?"  he  added. 

"Yes." 

"Good!  Put  it  under  the  pillow  again. 
Wad  that  old  paper  up,  and  chuck  it  into 
a  corner;  and  then  come  around  here,  and 
sit  down.  Now,  what  is  that  confession 
of  yours?" 

"There  is  no  more  to  it,  Jack.  I  de- 
liberately, and  with  premeditation,  robbed 
your  father's  safe  of  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  X.  L. 
stock.  I  stole  it  as  any  other  thief  would 
have  done.  For  God's  sake,  isn't  that 
enough?" 

"No,"  the  pseudo-invalid  declared,  with 
conviction.  "Why  did  you  steal  it?  You 
248 


LATHROP'S  CONFESSION 

seem  to  like  the  word,  so  I'll  use  it.  Why 
did  you  steal  it?" 

Lathrop  hesitated,  and,  while  he  did  so, 
a  ring  of  the  electric  bell  announced  a  new 
arrival.  At  the  same  instant,  Edna 
hastened  in  upon  them. 

"There  is  someone  at  the  door,"  she 
said,  breathlessly.  "What  shaU  I  do?" 

"Pay  no  attention  to  it,"  replied  Mil- 
lington,  who  was  surprisingly  alert  for 
one  so  severely  injured  as  he  was  supposed 
to  be.  Happily,  Lathrop  was  too  much 
preoccupied  to  observe  the  fact,  or  to  heed 
the  presence  of  Edna  Trevor. 

"It  may  be  your  father,"  the  girl 
suggested. 

"Egad !  That's  so !"  Millington  agreed. 
"Wait  a  minute,  Morris!  If  that  is  the 
governor,  you're  not  to  say  a  word — not  a 
single  word  about  this  affair.  I'll  die  in 
three  minutes  if  you  do.  Will  you 
promise?" 

Lathrop  sighed,  wearily.  "Why  not 
249 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

make  a  clean  breast  of  the  whole  thing  at 
once,  and  have  it  over?"  he  urged. 

"I  won't  have  it,"  Millington  com- 
manded, hotly.  "When  I  get  through 
with  you,  you  can  do  all  the  confessing 
you  want  to,  whether  I'm  dead  or  alive. 
By  Jove,  the  governor'll  ring  that  bell  off 
the  wall.  Let  him  in,  Edna.  Pass  that 
medicine,  Morris.  And  mind  that  you  do 
as  I  say."  He  was  painfully  sipping  at 
the  tumbler  when  his  father  entered  the 
room. 

The  agitation  of  the  old  capitalist  was 
pathetic.  Nobody  at  that  moment  could 
have  doubted  his  great  love  for  his  only 
son. 

"Jack!  Jack!  My  boy!  My  boy!" 
he  cried,  and  dropped  upon  his  knees  be- 
side the  bed  in  a  passion  of  weeping  such 
as  only  strong  men  who  have  not  wept 
for  years  can  exhibit.  He  had  utterly 
forgotten  the  X.  L.  stock.  He  did  not 
even  see  Lathrop. 

250 


LATHROP'S  CONFESSION 

"Look  here,  governor,  drop  it,  will 
you?"  exclaimed  Jack.  "It  isn't  half  so 
bad  as  all  that ;  and,  besides,  I'm  not  worth 
it,  anyhow."  Then,  he  remembered  that 
he  was  not  supposed  to  know  of  his 
father's  presence  in  town,  and  he  added: 
"How  did  you  get  here?" 

"I  arrived  this  morning,  Jack,"  replied 
the  father,  brushing  aside  his  tears,  and 
by  a  strong  effort  controlling  himself. 
"Where  are  you  hurt?  What  do  the 
doctors  say?  Tell  me  all  about  it.  You 
seem  stronger  than  I  had  dared  to  hope." 

"There  isn't  much  to  tell,  father,"  was 
the  evasive  answer.  "I  met  an  automo- 
bile on  the  street,  and  neither  of  us  turned 
out.  Go  and  see  Randall:  he'll  tell  you 
all  about  it." 

"Ah,  did  you  have  Randall?"  the  father 
questioned  reassured. 

"Yes,"  the  invalid  replied.     "He  can 
supply  you  with  all  the  details.     .     .     . 
Pass  that  medicine,  Morris,  please." 
251 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Lathrop?"  said 
the  elder  Millington,  rising  then,  and  ex- 
tending his  hand,  which  the  young  man 
pretended  not  to  see,  as  he  busied  himself 
with  the  glass.  "I  was  so  agitated  when 
I  entered  the  room  that  I  saw  nobody  but 
Jack." 

"I  think,  father,"  the  son  argued,  "that 
you  had  better  run  up,  and  get  those 
particulars  from  Randall.  I  know  you 
are  anxious  to  have  them.  Besides,  I 
fancy  that  I'm  getting  a  bit  tired.  You 
can  come  in  again,  along  toward  night." 

"Yes,  yes;  I'll  do  that,"  the  capitalist 
agreed.  "I'll  see  Randall  at  once.  I  am 
very  glad  that  it  is  no  worse.  I  was  told 
that  you  were  dying.  Thank  God,  it  was 
a  false  report!  Good-bye,  Jack.  I'll 
run  in  about  six  or  seven.  Good-day, 
Lathrop.  Take  good  care  of  my  boy. 
I'll  not  forget  it."  A  moment  later,  the 
door  closed  behind  him. 

It  would  have  been  a  matter  of  difficulty 
252 


LATHROP'S  CONFESSION 

to  analyze  the  conflicting  emotions  within 
Jack  Millington's  breast  just  then,  but  the 
chief  of  them  was  shame  for  having  thus 
imposed  on  the  feelings  of  his  father. 
Nevertheless,  he  adhered  resolutely  to  his 
purpose,  and  at  once  addressed  his  friend 
sharply. 

"Go  ahead  now,  Morris,"  he  ordered. 
"Why  did  you  steal  that  stock?" 

"I  stole  it  in  order  to  raise  money," 
Lathrop  replied,  reluctantly. 

"For  whom?"  came  the  crisp  demand. 
"For  yourself?" 

"No." 

"For  Trevor?" 

"Yes,  if  you  must  know,  for  the  pater," 
Lathrop  faltered.  "But,  as  God  is  my 
judge,  Jack,  he  believed  that  it  was  mine. 
It  will  break  his  heart  when  he  learns  the 
truth." 

"He'd  have  failed,  if  you  hadn't  done 
this  for  him,  wouldn't  he?"   Millington 
asked,  after  a  short  pause. 
253 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"Yes." 

"When  did  he  tell  you  that  he  was  on 
the  point  of  failure?  Was  it  on  the  night 
before  I  started  for  Chicago?" 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  admitted. 

Thereafter,  Millington  lay  silent  for  a 
little  time,  musing.  When,  at  last,  he 
spoke  again,  his  voice  was  markedly  lan- 
guid. 

"I  suspect  that  I  am  getting  too  tired, 
Morris,"  he  said,  plaintively.  "Now,  I 
want  you  to  promise  that  you  will  keep 
this  thing  a  secret  until  I  give  you  leave 
to  tell.  Will  you?" 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  agreed;  "if  you  will 
ever  give  me  leave." 

"I'll  do  it  within  a  week,"  Millington 
declared.  "Now,  please  send  Edna  here, 
while  you  stay  in  the  other  room.  I  wish 
to  say  something  to  her  that  you  are  not 
to  hear.  After  that,  I'll  go  to  sleep  for 
a  while." 

254 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

A   MATTER   OF    SCHEMING 

4  4  y^  LOSE  the  door,  please,  Edna," 
\^/  Millington,  directed,  as  the  girl 
entered  the  room.  When  she  had  obeyed, 
he  reached  one  hand  under  the  pillow 
where  Lathrop  had  placed  the  packet,  and 
extended  it  toward  her. 

"What  am  I  to  do  with  this?"  was  her 
inquiry,  as  she  took  the  parcel  from  him. 

"I  want  you  to  go  with  it  to  our  house," 
Millington  explained.  "It  is  empty,  you 
know."  He  fumbled  for  a  moment  in  a 
pocket,  and  then  produced  a  latch-key, 
which  he  held  out.  "Take  this,"  he  con- 
tinued; "it  will  open  the  front  doors. 
After  you  have  got  in,  go  up  to  my  room, 
the  front  one  on  the  second  floor.  There, 
you  will  find  a  small  iron  safe,  in  a  corner. 
255 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

Do  you  understand  how  to  work  a  combi- 
nation?" 

"Yes,"  Edna  said.  "I  have  charge  of 
the  plate-safe,  at  home." 

"Listen,  then!  Once  to  the  right,  to 
three;  twice  to  the  left,  to  thirteen;  twice 
to  the  right,  to  thirty-three;  then  to  the 
left  until  it  stops."  He  repeated  the  com- 
bination until  the  girl  had  mastered  it. 

"Next,  open  the  safe,  put  that  package 
inside,  shut  the  door,  and  lock  it  again, 
and  come  away.  That's  all.  .  .  .  Can 
you  do  that,  Edna?  But,  of  course,  you 
can!  You  must,  anyhow.  To-morrow, 
come  and  tell  me  how  you  get  along." 

"But  I  am  not  coming  here  again,  to- 
morrow," the  girl  objected,  vigorously. 

"Oh,  you  must  surely  come  to-morrow," 
Millington  urged.  "I  shall  have  some- 
thing very  important  to  say  to  you." 

"About  Morris?" 

"Yes.  And  about  something  else,  as 
256 


A  MATTER  OF  SCHEMING 

well.  Besides,  you  must  return  the  key; 
to  me." 

"I  can  send  that  to  you,  Jack,"  the  girl 
declared.  "But  I'll  do  this  other  errand 
now,  if  it  is  for  Morris's  sake." 

"It  is,"  Millington  assured  her,  "and  it 
is  of  vital  importance  to  his  safety." 

With  this  knowledge  compelling  her, 
Edna  hurried  forth  on  her  mission.  But, 
in  the  parlor,  she  was  detained  for  a 
minute  by  Lathrop. 

"You  heard?"  he  asked.  His  voice  was 
as  calm  as  ever,  but  his  face  was  very  pale, 
and  showed  deep  lines  of  suffering. 

"Yes,"  she  admitted  gravely;  "I  heard, 
Morris." 

She  hesitated  for  an  instant.  Then,  as 
he  made  no  movement,  but  stood  with 
downcast  eyes,  she  went  to  him  impul- 
sively. 

"Morris,"  she  said,  placing  one  slim 
hand  on  his  shoulder,  "you  are  like  a 
257 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

brother  to  me.     I  want  you  to  kiss  me." 

"No,  no,  Edna,"  Lathrop  remonstrated. 
"I  am  not  worthy." 

But  the  girl  persisted. 

"It  will  make  me  feel  better,"  she  said, 
simply;  "and  it — will  make  you  feel  better, 
too.  Kiss  me  please!" 

He  bent  forward  then,  and  pressed  his 
lips  to  her  forehead. 

"God  bless  you,  Edna,"  he  said  rever- 
ently, as  she  turned  to  go. 

Several  times  during  the  hours  that  fol- 
lowed, Lathrop  peered  into  the  chamber 
where  Jack  Millington  was  supposed  to  be 
suffering,  and  each  time  he  thought  that 
his  friend  was  sleeping.  After  a  while, 
he  wrote  several  letters,  and  sealed  them, 
for  he  had  determined  that  he  would  pay 
the  penalty  for  his  crime — that  he  would 
confess  his  sin  to  Sam  Millington,  and 
abide  by  the  consequences.  It  was  the 
only  way,  as  he  believed,  by  which  he  could 
258 


A  MATTER  OF  SCHEMING 

purge  his  soul  of  the  stain  he  had  put  upon 
it. 

Then,  at  half -past  six  o'clock,  the  bell 
rang,  and  the  capitalist  entered  the  room. 
If  Jack  had  been,  in  fact,  sleeping,  the 
sound  of  the  bell  awakened  him.  He  by  no 
means  intended  that  Lathrop  should  have 
any  opportunity  for  conversation  with  his 
father,  so  now  he  called  out  loudly: 

"Is  that  you,  governor?"  Whereupon 
the  old  man,  after  a  word  of  greeting  to 
Lathrop,  passed  on  into  the  bed-chamber. 

"I  hope  that  Randall  reassured  you," 
were  the  first  words  of  his  son. 

"Oh,  yes;  he  did,"  was  the  reply. 
"How  are  you  feeling  now,  my  boy?" 

"Very  much  better,"  the  son  gave  as- 
surance. "I'll  soon  be  out  again.  .  .  . 
I  fixed  everything  all  right  in  Chicago. 
Things  there  are  in  a  better  condition  now 
than  ever.  And,  oh,  by  the  way,  there  is 
one  thing  I  nearly  forgot !  If  you  should 
259 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

happen  to  go  to  the  Westmoreland — " 

"I  have  already  been  there,"  interrupted 
the  father,  his  face  darkening. 

"Have  you?"  Jack  questioned,  placidly. 
"Did  you  miss  the  X.  L.  stock?" 

"Yes ;  all  of  it !  Do  you  know  where  it 
is?" 

"Certainly,"  came  the  answer.  "Your 
cahle  amused  me  very  much.  Somebody 
has  been  putting  up  a  job  on  you,  gov- 


ernor." 


"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Why,  I  mean  that  you  will  find  your 
stock  in  the  safe  in  my  room,  at  the  house. 
I  got  in  from  Chicago  last  night  at  ten, 
too  late  to  go  to  the  Westmoreland.  It  is 
all  in  my  safe  at  home." 

For  a  moment,  the  old  man  was  too 
greatly  astonished  to  speak.  Then,  he 
said: 

"Are  you  sure?    All  of  it?" 

"Yes," 

260 


A  MATTER  OF  SCHEMING 

"Why  did  you  take  it  from  the  safe- 
deposit  company?" 

"Thought  I  might  need  it.  That's 
what  you  left  the  keys  with  me  for,  wasn't 
it?  But  it  occurred  to  me  you  might  miss 
it  and  be  worried,  particularly  when  I  re- 
membered your  long  message.  I  suspect 
that  somebody — Trevor,  maybe — started 
the  rumor  that  got  to  you." 

"I  was  worried — greatly!"  the  elder 
Millington  confessed.  "What  is  the  com- 
bination of  your  safe,  Jack?" 

"Three,  thirteen,  thirty-three,"  was  the 
reply.  "You  had  better  take  out  the 
stock,  and  take  it  back  to  the  Westmore- 
land." 

"Yes,  I'll  do  so,  at  once,"  the  capitalist 
agreed.  "You  won't  need  me  any  more 
to-night?" 

"No,"  the  son  answered;  "Morris  will 
look  out  for  me.     He's  better  than  any 
trained  nurse,  for  me." 
261 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

'Sam  Millington  felt  that  he  owed  La- 
throp  amends  for  his  suspicions,  and  there- 
fore, as  he  passed  through  the  parlor,  he 
held  out  his  hand.  The  young  man,  how- 
ever, was  raking  the  fire,  and  again  ap- 
peared not  to  observe  the  movement. 

"Lathrop,"  the  old  man  said,  "I  want 
to  express  to  you  my  gratitude  for  your 
kindness  to  Jack.  If- 

"Pray,  do  not  say  a  word,  Mr.  Milling- 
ton,"  came  the  quick  interruption.  "But 
there  is  something  that  I  must  say  to  you 
of—" 

"Morris!"  the  invalid  called  from  the 
bedroom. 

"In  just  a  moment,"  Lathrop  replied. 

"Not  a  moment!"  was  the  imperious  re- 
tort. "I  want  you  now!  Come  here.  Go 
along,  father,  if  you  please.  You  can 
talk  with  Lathrop  some  other  time." 

At  that,  the  elder  Millington  hurried 
away  obediently,  and  Lathrop  had  no  fur- 
ther opportunity  for  confession. 
262 


A  MATTER  OF  SCHEMING 

"He  has  gone?"  Jack  demanded,  as  his 
friend  approached  the  bedside. 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  answered. 

Thereupon,  the  supposititious  invalid 
uttered  a  lusty  and  joyous  shout.  Then, 
he  gave  the  bed  clothes  a  kick  which  sent 
them  swirling  across  the  room,  and  fol- 
lowed this  up  by  leaping  nimbly  out  of  bed 
into  the  centre  of  the  chamber,  the  while 
Lathrop  regarded  him  with  distended 
eyes. 

"Morris  Lathrop,"  he  remarked  inci- 
sively, "you  will  please  control  that  hate- 
ful temper  of  yours  until  such  time  as  I 
shall  give  you  permission  to  indulge  it. 
Otherwise,  you  would  get  Edna  Trevor 
into  trouble,  and,  if  you  are  the  man  I 
take  you  to  be,  you  will  not  choose  to  in- 
volve that  girl." 


CHAPTER  XXIY 

THE  SECOND  RUSE 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  describe  at  lengtH 
the  hours  of  bitter  mental  struggle 
which  took  place  between  Lathrop  and 
Millington  when  the  former  discovered 
that  his  friend  had  been  shamming  all  the 
time,  that  the  physicians,  the  servants, 
everybody  indeed  who  was  in  any  way  con- 
nected with  the  affair,  had  been  acting 
under  an  agreement  with  the  young  fin- 
ancier, though  none  save  Edna  understood 
aught  as  the  object  to  be  attained  by  the 
deception.  Lathrop  was  very  angry  at 
first,  but,  bit  by  bit,  he  was  brought  to  a 
point  where  he  was  able  to  perceive  some- 
thing of  the  rather  grisly  humor  in  the 
situation,  and,  finally,  he  laughed  doubt- 
fully with  his  friend.  But  it  was  by  no 
264 


THE  SECOND  RUSE 

means  so  easy  to  prevail  on  him  that  he 
should  keep  his  sin  secret.  He  insisted 
that  he  must  go  to  Sam  Millington,  and 
make*  full  confession.  Thereafter,  if  the 
capitalist  chose  to  overlook  the  matter,  he 
would  be  content  to  let  it  rest. 

But  Jack  was  of  a  different  mind. 

"Look  at  the  position  in  which  you 
would  place  me,  and  Edna,  too,"  he  urged. 
"The  governor  would  forgive  you,  I  verily 
believe ;  he'd  clap  you  on  the  shoulder,  tell 
you  that  you  are  smarter  than  lightning, 
offer  you  opportunities,  and  make  you  a 
millionaire  all  over  again,  in  less  than  no 
time."  For  Lathrop  had  told  of  his 
losses,  and  the  entire  history  of  the  night 
when  Trevor  had  sought  the  loan. 
"Now,"  Millington  continued,  "I  don't 
think  that  you  ought  to  profit  from  my 
father  because  of  your  theft,  and  yet  that 
is  just  what  you  would  do,  if  you  went  to 
him  with  a  confession.  Oh,  yes,  indeed, 
he'd  forgive  you.  But  what  of  me?  Do 
265 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

you  believe,  for  a  moment,  that  he  would 
ever  forgive  me  for  playing  this  horrible 
accident  game  on  him?  Not  much! 

"You  needn't  think  that  I  excuse  you," 
he  went  on,  with  stern  emphasis.  "If  you 
had  done  the  thing  for  yourself,  I'd  have 
helped  to  put  a  striped  suit  on  you.  As  it 
is,  you  ought  to  be  punished — I'll  admit 
that,  too.  But  it  will  punish  you  more  to 
compel  you  to  lock  the  thing  up  in  your 
heart  than  it  would  to  let  you  reveal  the 
whole  affair  to  the  governor.  He'd  be 
proud  of  you,  and  the  chances  are  that,  be- 
fore you  had  been  an  hour  with  him,  you'd 
be  ass  enough  to  think  you  had  done  a  fine 
thing. 

"And  Edna!  If  you  have  any  appre- 
ciation or  chivalry  in  your  soul,  you'll  hold 
your  peace  for  her  sake,  Morris." 

Jack  Millington  had  a  way  of  overcom- 
ing opposition  wherever  he  met  with  it, 
and  this  case  was  not  an  exception.  By 
266 


THE  SECOND  RUSE 

the  time  that  nine  o'clock  struck,  the  two 
men  had  reached  a  thorough  understand- 
ing. 

"ISTow,  Morris,"  Millington  said,  "I'm 
going  out  for  an  hour  or  two.  I  think 
that  you  ought  to  remain  here,  for  the 
governor  might  run  in,  you  know.  Will 
you  telephone  for  a  cab,  while  I  dress?" 

"Where  are  you  going?"  Lathrop  in- 
quired, as  he  went  to  the  telephone. 

"To  get  some  air,"  Millington  replied, 
carelessly,  "I  feel  as  though  I  had  been  on 
that  bed  for  a  week." 

But  he  had  another  object  than  fresh 
air,  for,  when  he  entered  the  cab,  he  bade 
the  driver  take  him  to  the  Millington  as 
quickly  as  possible;  and,  when  he  arrived, 
he  went  at  once  to  'Rita's  apartment, 
where  he  rang  the  bell. 

The  maid  who  opened  the  door  instantly 
invited  him  to  enter.     He  passed  through 
the  corridor,  and  on  into  the  parlor,  and 
267 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

found — as  it  seemed  that  he  had  expected 
to  find — Clarita  Ortega,  eagerly  awaiting 
him. 

"Mr.  Millington!"  she  exclaimed.  "I 
am  so  glad  you  have  come,  at  last.  I  was 
growing  very  anxious,  although  you  as- 
sured me  in  the  note  that  you  believed  it 
would  be  all  right.  You  are  very  late! 
It  is  almost  ten.  What  was  the  danger 
that  threatened  Morris?  Is  he  safe?  Is 
there  anything  that  I — ?" 

Millington  held  up  both  hands,  laugh- 
ingly. 

"Everything  is  all  right,"  he  said. 
"That  answers  all  your  questions,  at  once. 
So,  I  was  right,  eh?  You  have  been  here 
all  the  time!" 

"Yes,"  the  girl  confessed.  "I  did  not 
go  away.  I  have  not  left  the  house  at  all." 

"I  suspected  it  this  morning,"  Milling- 
ton  explained.  "I  heard  the  swish  of  your 
skirts." 

"What  was  the  danger  that  threatened 
268 


THE  SECOND  RUSE 

Morris?"  Clarita  questioned,  anxiously. 
"Will  you  tell  me?" 

But  Millington  shook  his  head. 

"It  isn't  necessary,  now.  It  is  all  over, 
and  he  is  safe.  But  there  is  something 
else  on  my  mind.  Do  you  remember  that 
evening  when  I  called  with  Morris?" 

"Perfectly,"  the  girl  acquiesced. 

"Well,  I  fell  in  love  with  you  that 
night,"  Millington  announced. 

'Rita  drew  back  quickly,  and  her  face 
paled  perceptibly.  She  could  not  under- 
stand this  man.  He  uttered  the  words  so 
calmly,  his  expression  was  so  benign,  and 
he  seemed  so  unconscious  of  having  said 
anything  unusual  that  she  could  not  take 
offense. 

"I  do  not  understand,"  she  said,  with 
such  reserve  and  dignity  that  he  smiled 
amusedly. 

"Yes,"  he  continued  placidly,  as  though 
he  were  discussing,  the  most  commonplace 
of  things;  "heels  over  head,  thought  about 
269 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

you  all  the  time,  dreamed  about  you 
nights,  wrote  you  letters,  and  burned  them 
all,  came  East  a  week  ahead  of  time  on 
your  account.  But  I've  got  over  it!" 

"Ohl"  the  girl  ejaculated,  in  irrepres- 
sible amazement. 

"Perhaps,  it  isn't  a  very  polite  thing  to 
say,"  Millington  suggested. 

"It  is  a  very  pleasant  thing  for  me  to 
hear,"  'Rita  retorted,  demurely. 

"Yes,"  Millington  continued,  imper- 
turbably,  "I  have  got  over  it — that  is, 
over  a  part  of  it.  I  think  that  I  am  just 
as  fond  of  you  now  as  ever;  only,  it  is  as 
a  big  brother,  you  know." 

The  girl  nodded  and  smiled.  She  had 
regained  a  measure*of  her  self-assurance, 
for  she  believed  that  she  was  coming  to 
understand  the  man  better. 

"But,  unfortunately,"  Millington  went 

on,  "I  was  led  into  making  a  bad  mistake 

on  account  of  you.     When  I  got  back 

from  Chicago,  Morris  met  me,  and  I  went 

270 


THE  SECOND  RUSE 

to  his  apartment.  There,  we  got  to  talk- 
ing of  you.  He  told  me  then  that  you 
were  away  on  a  visit.  So,  finally,  I  let 
him  know  that  I  was  in  love  with  you,  and 
I  asked  him,  as  your  guardian,  if  he  had 
any  objection  to  my  suit.  He  said  that 
he  had  not.  More  than  this:  he  is  going 
away,  just  for  the  sake  of  giving  me  a 
clear  field.  He  informed  me  that  you  had 
refused  him,  and  he  seemed  to  be  sure,  too, 
that  you  would  not  take  me.  Now,  in 
spite  of  all  that,  I  am  going  to  propose  to 
you,  and  I  want  you  to  accept  me!" 

"Accept  you!"  'Rita  exclaimed,  in  new 
bewilderment. 

"Yes,  that  is  the  idea!"  Millington  de- 
clared, with  the  utmost  complacency. 
"We  shall  be  engaged  for  precisely  five 
minutes.  Then,  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
you  will  tell  me  that  you  have  changed 
your  mind.  You  will,  in  short,  break  the 
engagement.  I  suppose  that  I  ought  to 
explain:  It's  the  only  way  by  which  we 
271 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

can  manage  to  keep  Morris  here,  and  his 
presence  here  now  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  his  well-being.  Will  you  do  this,  Miss 
Ortega?" 

The  girl,  confused  by  the  extraordinary 
proposition,  stared  at  the  energetic  plotter 
mutely.  It  was  her  resolve  that  never, 
never  would  she  do  a  thing  so  strange,  so 
unseemly.  Nevertheless,  despite  her  voli- 
tion, she  was  swayed  by  Millington's 
kindly  and  masterful  air.  In  the  end,  she 
questioned  him,  reluctantly: 

"It  will  be  for  only  five  minutes?  You 
assure  me  of  that?" 

"Oh,  certainly,"  Millington  replied. 
"So,  now  then!  Are  you  ready?  Well, 
will  you  be  my  wife?  Quick!  Answer! 
Say,  yes!" 

Before  the  plotter's  urgency,  she  found 
herself  quite  helpless. 

"Ye — es,"  came  the  stammered  answer. 

At  that,  Millington  laughed  aloud. 

"I  am  a  schemer,  and  no  mistake!"  he 
272 


THE  SECOND  RUSE 

boasted.  He  sprang  to  his  feet,  seized  his 
hat,  and,  before  Clarita  had  realized  his 
intention,  reached  the  door.  There,  he 
turned,  and  spoke  with  triumphant  vehe- 
mence: "Ah,  I  have  you  now,  Miss  'Rita. 
I  know  that  you  could  never  go  back  on  a 
promise.  Morris  said  that  you  wouldn't 
say,  yes,  to  me;  but  you  have.  He  wants 
you  himself,  of  course !  But  I  have  stolen 
a  march  on  him.  I  have  you,  and — what's 
more — I'm  going  to  keep  you!" 

With  a  cry  of  fear,  the  outraged  girl 
leaped  to  her  feet,  and  started  toward  him. 
But  he  only  laughed  again  mockingly,  and 
darted  from  the  place.  Pursuit,  she 
knew,  must  be  useless.  Quivering  with 
excitement  and  wrath,  she  threw  herself 
down  on  a  sofa,  where,  for  a  long  time,  she 
lay  sobbing. 


273 


CUPID  IN  HASTE 

THE    first    post    of    the    morning 
brought  the  following  note  to  La- 
throp : 

"Dear  Morris, 

"I  am  at  home.  Something  very  ter- 
rible has  happened.  I  must  see  you  at 
once.  Come  to  me  without  fail,  the  mo- 
ment you  receive  this. 

"  'Rita." 

Millington,  who  guessed  the  authorship 
of  the  letter,  made  his  friend's  obvious  per- 
turbation an  excuse  for  questioning, 
whereupon  Morris  frankly  explained  that 
the  writer  was  'Rita,  and  that  she  was  in 
trouble  of  some  sort. 

"In  trouble!"  Millington  exclaimed,  in 
apparent  astonishment.  "That's  curious. 
274 


CUPID  IN  HASTE 

i 
She  was  not  in  any  trouble  last  night." 

"Last      night,"      Lathrop      repeated, 

amazed.     "Did  you  see  her  last  night?" 

"Yes;  I  called  there,"  came  the  cool  re- 

piy. 

Lathrop  blushed,  angrily. 

"May  I  ask  why  you  waited  until  this 
morning  before  telling  me?"  he  demanded. 
"You  must  have  known  my  anxiety!" 

"Your  anxiety  concerning  what?"  the 
guest  inquired,  nonchalantly. 

At  the  question,  Lathrop  bit  his  lip  with 
vexation.  For  the  moment,  he  had  for- 
gotten that  the  other  was  in  ignorance  as 
to  the  facts  concerning  Clarita's  flight. 

"You  see,"  Millington  went  on,  with- 
out waiting  an  answer  to  his  question,  "I 
wanted  to  keep  my  great  happiness  to  my- 
self for  a  little  while.  You,  of  course,  are 
the  first  to  be  told.  The  fact  is:  I  asked 
'Rita  to  be  my  wife,  and  she  said,  yes!" 

Lathrop  started  back  as  though  he  had 
been  struck  in  the  face.  But,  almost  on 
275 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

the  instant,  he  recovered  his  poise,  and 
then,  very  calmly,  he  held  out  the  letter 
which  he  had  just  received. 

"In  that  case,"  he  said,  "it  is  your  place, 
rather  than  mine,  to  answer  this  appeal." 

"No,  no!"  Millington  protested.  "The 
letter  is  addressed  to  you.  You  must  an- 
swer it.  Does  she  want  you  to  go  up  and 
see  her?" 

"Yes." 

"Then,  go!"  was  the  concise  advice. 
"Only,  wait  till  the  governor  has  been  and 
gone.  I'll  have  to  crawl  back  into  bed 
again.  But,  before  I  do  it,  I'll  just  write 
a  short  note  which  I  shall  ask  you  to  give 
to  Miss  'Rita.  And  be  sure  that  you 
don't  give  it  to  her  until  you  have  had 
your  talk  out.  Will  you  do  me  that 
favor?" 

"Yes,"  Lathrop  agreed,  completely; 
mystified. 

Millington  wrote  the  letter,  and,  after 
repeating  the  injunction  that  it  should  not 
276 


CUPID  IN  HASTE 

be  delivered  until  after  the  interview  with 
'Rita  was  concluded,  gave  it  to  Lathrop. 
Then,  he  got  back  into  bed,  replaced  his 
bandages,  and  awaited  the  coming  of  his 
father,  wrho,  punctually  at  nine  o'clock, 
presented  himself. 

As  soon  as  he  was  assured  that  his  son 
was  better,  he  rose  to  go,  sajdng  that  he 
would  drop  in  again  in  the  evening,  on  his 
way  uptown.  Then,  he  added. 

"I  found  that  stock,  all  right.  But  the 
package  has  been  opened." 

"Certainly,"  his  son  answered,  indiffer- 
ently. "I  looked  it  over.  When  will  you 
be  in  this  afternoon?" 

"Between  five  and  six." 

When  his  father  had  gone,  the  bed- 
ridden patient  again  threw  the  clothes  off, 
and  leaped  forth. 

"Now,  Morris,  hurry!"  he  urged.  "I 
sha'n't  stir  out  of  the  house  till  you 
return." 

Lathrop  made  no  reply  until  he  was 
277 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

ready  to  go.  Then,  he  paused  at  the  door, 
and  said,  very  slowly: 

"I  did  not  offer  you  my  congratula- 
tions, Jack;  but  I  do  now." 

"Oh,  they  can  wait  until  you  get  back," 
Millington  answered,  with  a  laugh. 

As  soon  as  he  was  left  alone,  he  rang 
the  messenger-call,  and  then  wrote  this 
note: 

"Dear  Miss  Edna, 

"Morris  and  I  wish  to  see  you  at  once. 
You  did  splendidly  about  the  safe,  but 
affairs  are  not  entirely  straightened  out 
yet.  I  must  have  your  consent  to  one 
more  thing,  right  away.  Please  come 
here  at  once. 

"Jack  Millington." 

After  the  messenger-boy  had  departed 
with  this  missive,  the  young  financier  took 
up  a  position  by  a  window  from  which  he 
could  overlook  the  avenue,  and,  for  a  half - 
hour,  he  remained  steadfastly  watching 
the  thoroughfare.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  he 
278 


CUPID  IN  HASTE 

laughed  softly  to  himself,  crossed  the 
room,  and  stood  waiting  until  he  heard 
light  footfalls  in  the  corridor,  and  the 
bell  rang,  when,  on  the  instant,  he  swung 
the  door  wide. 

"Come  in,  Edna,"  he  said,  gaily. 
"Morris  will  be  back  soon.  He  was  called 
out  for  a  moment." 

"It  is  not  at  all  right  that  I  should  come 
here  in  this  way,"  the  girl  said,  entering 
the  parlor,  but  declining  the  proffered 
chair.  "Xo,  I  won't  sit  down.  I  shall 
stay  only  a  minute." 

Millington's  manner  changed  abruptly, 
and  he  went  on  speaking  with  an  extra- 
ordinary rapidity  and  emphasis. 

"Well,  never  mind  anything  else,  just 
now,"  he  said.  "There  is  only  one  single 
thing  of  real  importance,  and  that  is — 
you!  Edna,  there  isn't  a  girl  like  you 
this  side  of  heaven.  Why,  if  I  had  you 
for  my  wife,  with  your  grit  and  pluck 
and  goodness,  to  say  nothing  of  your 
279 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

beauty,  I'd  control  railroads  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  within  two  years, 
and  I'd  have  a  mortgage  on  the  earth  very 
soon.  But,  too,  I'd  have  something  in- 
finitely better  than  railroad  and  mort- 
gages, something  better  than  anything 
else  in  the  world,  for  I'd  have  you.  You 
needn't  stand  there  staring  at  me  as 
though  you  thought  I  had  taken  leave  of 
my  senses.  On  the  contrary,  my  dear, 
I've  just  found  them — that  God's  truth! 
And  you  needn't  try  to  think  up  some  in- 
igenious  and  gentle  way  of  saying,  no.  I 
tell  you  now,  I  won't  take  no  for  an  an- 
swer. Why,  nobody  has  ever  said  no  to 
me  since  I  was  born,  and  I  sha'n't  let  a  slip 
of  a  girl  like  you  begin  it — not  much !  Be 
sides,  Edna,  you  must  help  me  out  of  this 
scrape  with  the  governor,  you  know. 
It'll  never  do  in  the  world  to  let  him  know 
how  we  fooled  him,  so  I've  got  to  go 
abroad  to  mend  my  broken  bones — and 
you  must  go  with  me." 
280 


CUPID  IN  HASTE 

"Have  }^ou  quite  finished?"  the  girl  in- 
quired, tossing  her  head  disdainfully,  and 
trying,  with  rather  poor  success,  to  speak 
coldly. 

"Finished?  No,  I've  just  begun,"  Mil- 
lington  retorted.  "Just  as  soon  as  you 
say,  yes— 

"I  thought  you  said  that  was  not  neces- 
sary," Edna  interrupted. 

"Well,  it  isn't  only  just  for  form's  sake, 
you  know,"  Millington  agreed.  "But, 
just  as  soon  as  you  do  say  it,  I'll  send  down 
word,  and  have  my  yacht  put  into  com- 
mission, and  you  and  I,  and  Morris  and 
'Rita—" 

'  'Rita!"  Edna  exclaimed,  astounded. 

"Exactly!"  Millington  affirmed.  "You 
and  I,  and  Morris  and  'Rita,  will  have  a 
quiet  double  wedding,  and  then  we'll  sail 
away.  Edna,  do  you  know  that  a  man  has 
to  be  educated  in  love,  as  well  as  in  other 
things?  The  night  before  I  started  for 
Chicago,  I  went  with  Morris  to  see  'Rita, 
281 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

and  I  thought  I  had  lost  my  heart  to  her. 
It  turned  out  that  it  was  only  ray  head. 
Then,  when  I  met  you  yesterday,  I  knew 
the  difference  between  the  real  thing  and 
the  imitation.  There  is  nothing  dilatory 
about  me,  sweetheart — never  has  been. 
Why,  I  made  up  my  mind  on  the  spot!'* 

"Really,  Mr.  Millington— "  the  girl  be- 
gan. 

But  the  ardent  suitor  continued  ruth- 
lessly : 

"It's  quite  unnecessary  for  you  to  use 
any  formula  about  taking  time  to  consider, 
and  all  that.  I've  known  you  ever  since 
you  were  a  baby,  and  you've  known  me. 
I  want  you.  I  want  you  for  my  wife. 
I  want  you  to  love  me  always,  just  as  I 
love  you,  with  all  your  heart  and  with  all 
your  soul  and  with  all  your  strength." 
As  he  ceased  speaking,  the  wooer  sprang 
toward  the  girl  impetuously,  and  put  his 
arms  around  her,  before  she  could  make  a 
movement  of  resistance.  "Edna!  Edna!" 
282 


CUPID  IN  HASTE 

he  murmured.  "Don't  you  understand 
what  this  means  to  me?  You  won't  re- 
fuse me,  will  you,  dearest?  Say  that  you 
will  be  my  wife !"  He  lifted  her  face,  and 
looked  long  into  her  eyes.  The  magnet- 
ism of  the  man  conquered  the  scruples  of 
the  maiden.  When,  at  last,  he  bent  his 
head,  and  laid  his  lips  to  hers,  the  girl's 
mouth  returned  the  kiss. 


283 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


"THOUGH  YOUE  SINS  BE  AS  SCARLET' 


IN  the  mean  time,  Lathrop  had  found 
'Rita  in  a  state  of  nervous  excitement 
bordering  on  frenzy.  It  was  evident  that 
she  had  passed  a  sleepless  night,  and  that 
the  dawn  had  brought  her  no  comfort. 

"Morris!  Morris!"  she  cried,  when  he 
entered  the  room;  and  she  flew  to  him,  and 
would  have  thrown  herself  upon  his  breast, 
had  he  not  repulsed  her  coldly  and  sternly. 
There  was  an  aloofness  in  the  expression 
of  his  eyes  which  caused  her  to  shrink  from 
him  with  a  gasp  of  pain. 

"You  have  come,  at  last,"  she  said  then, 
pitifully. 

"I  came  as  soon  as  it  was  possible  after 
your  letter  arrived,"  he  replied.  "What 
is  the  trouble?  What  is  there  that  I  can 
284 


"YOUR  SINS  AS  SCARLET" 

do  for  you?  Don't  you  think  it  would 
have  been  more  consistent,  if  you  had  sent 
for  Millington?" 

She  started  at  that,  and  regarded  him 
reproachfully. 

"He  has  told  you?"  she  said. 

"He  has  told  you  that  you  accepted  him 
— yes.  As  his  promised  wife,  you  should 
have  sent  for  him,  not  for  me." 

"It  is  a  falsehood !"  she  cried  wildly.  "I 
am  not  his  promised  wife!  I  will  never 
be  his  wife — never!" 

"Have  you  not  promised  him  you  will 
many  him?  Or  has  he  lied  to  me?" 

"I  said,  yes,  to  him;  but  it  was  a  trick — 
a  trick!" 

"I  confess  that  I  do  not  understand  you, 
'Rita,"  Lathrop  retorted,  with  manifest 
suspicion. 

"Morris,  let  me  tell  you,  in  my  own 
way,"  the  girl  pleaded.     "I  have  suffered 
so,  since  that  morning  when — when  we 
were  to  have  been  married." 
285 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

"When  you  ran  away?"  Lathrop  re- 
torted. "Yes,  I  remember.  It  is  not  so 
very  long  ago!" 

"I  did  not  run  away,"  was  the  answer. 
"I  was  here  in  the  house  when  you  came. 
I  was  looking  at  you  from  beyond  the 
portieres  all  the  time  you  were  here.  I 
have  not  been  out  of  the  house  since  then. 
You  may  ask  Edna  Trevor, — she  knows!" 

"Edna  Trevor?"  Lathrop  exclaimed,  in 
astonishment.  "How  is  it  that  she 
knows?" 

"She  came  here  that  morning,  soon 
after  you  were  gone,"  'Rita  explained. 
"At  first,  my  maid  would  not  admit  her, 
but  she  persisted.  I  was  there,  upon  the 
couch,  crying,  and  she  came  and  put  her 
arms  around  me,  and  said  that  she  was 
sorry  for  what  she  had  said  to  me  the  day 
when  we  met  at  your  room.  And  she 
kissed  me,  and  begged  my  pardon.  And 
she  made  me  love  her,  although  I  wanted 
to  hate  her  because  I  thought  she  loved 
286 


"YOUR  SINS  AS  SCARLET" 

you.  She  does  love  you,  Morris,  but  as 
a  sister  loves.  And,  then,  I  told  her  all, 
and  she  consoled  me,  and  promised  me  that 
it  would  end  happily.  She  made  me 
promise  that  I  would  let  her  tell  you  about 
it.  She  was  to  tell  you  yesterday,  and  I 
thought  that  you  would  come  to  me  at 
once.  But — but  you  did  not  come  I" 

"She  did  not  tell  me,"  Lathrop  said, 
still  coldly. 

"Let  me  finish,  Morris,"  the  girl  be- 
sought him.  "Yesterday,  in  the  forenoon, 
Mr.  Millington  came  here.  I  was  in  the 
corridor,  near  the  door,  when  he  rang.  I 
fled,  but  he  heard  me ;  and  he  guessed  that 
I  was  here.  He  entered,  and  in  this  room 
he  wrote  a  note,  in  which  he  said  that  you 
were  in  great  trouble,  and  that  it  might 
be  necessary  that  I  should  assist  him  in 
freeing  you  from  it.  Here  is  the  note ;  you 
may  read  it.  He  said,  also,  that  he  would 
call  again  in  the  evening;  but  it  was  nearly 
ten  o'clock  when  he  came.  Ah !  I  wish  he 
287 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

had  not  come!  I  wish  he  had  not  come 
here — ever!  He  told  me  that  you  were 
going  away,  told  me  of  the  conversation 
that  he  had  had  with  you  concerning  me, 
told  me  that  it  was  on  my  account  you 
were  going;  and  he  made  me  believe  that, 
if  I  would  say  yes,  to  his  proposal,  you 
would  be  prevented  from  going.  I  do  not 
know  how,  but  he  convinced  me  that  it  was 
so.  And  he  promised  that  the  engage- 
ment should  not  continue  more  than  five 
minutes.  Then,  when  I  had  said,  yes,  he 
sprang  up,  laughing,  and  ran  away,  and 
I  have  been  half -mad.  Morris,  oh,  tell 
me !  I  am  not  bound  by  such  a  promise— 
a  promise  secured  by  a  trick!  And  tell 
me,  Morris :  Is  it  true  that  you  are  going 
away?" 

"Yes;  I  am  going  away,"  Lathrop  de- 
clared, somberly,  "and  I  shall  not  return 
— at  least  not  for  a  long  time.  As  for 
you,  'Rita,  I  think  it  best  that  you  should 
marry  Jack  Millington.  He  loves  you. 
288 


"YOUR  SINS  AS  SCARLET" 

He  is  an  honorable  man.  He  is  rich.  He 
can  make  you  very  happy.  I  had  no  right 
to  ask  you  to  be  my  wife,  when  I  did  so.  I 
have  forfeited  my  honor — my  right  to  ask 
any  good  woman  to  share  her  life  with 
me.  Let  me  tell  you  who  and  what  I  am, 
what  I  was  when  I  asked  you  to  marry  me ; 
then,  perhaps,  you  will  be  glad  that  I  am 
going  away." 

"No,  oh,  no!"  the  girl  cried,  wildly. 
"Do  not  say  that,  Morris !" 

"It  is  true.  I  am  a  thief — a  common 
thief!  I  have  stolen.  It  was  from  the 
outward  consequences  of  a  theft  that  Jack 
Millington  has  saved  me.  He  was  right 
when  he  said  that  I  would  suffer  more  in 
secrecy  than  in  public.  If  I  can  no  longer 
respect  myself,  how  can  I  hope  that  others 
will  respect  me  ?  Do  you  remember  when 
I  wrote  you  that  letter,  telling  you  that 
I  was  going  away?  Where  do  you  think 
I  was  going,  then?  I  had  determined  tc 
take  my  own  life.  My  fortune  was  dis- 
289 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

sipated,  but  my  honor  was  untarnished.  I 
thought  that  I  had  a  right  to  die.  I 
thought  that  I  loved  Carla  Trevor,  then. 
It  never  occurred  to  me  that  it  was  you 
whom  I  loved.  But  I  remember  now  that 
I  possessed  the  courage  to  go  where  she 
was,  to  see  her  for  the  last  time,  to  look 
upon  her  once  more;  but  into  your  pres- 
ence I  dared  not  go!  I  could  look  upon 
her,  and  smile,  and  keep  my  secret;  but 
your  eyes  I  avoided.  I  knew,  instinct- 
ively, that  they  would  read  the  truth.  I  did 
not  realize  that  it  was  you  whom  I  loved 
all  the  time,  until  I  saw  you  two  together. 
Then,  I  knew.  But,  this  morning,  'Rita, 
when  in  the  midst  of  self-abasement, 
standing  heart-deep  among  the  fragments 
of  my  broken  honor,  I  heard  Millington 
say  that  you  had  promised  to  be  his  wife, 
I  knew  for  the  first  time  what  anguish  is. 
It  came  upon  me  then  with  all  its  force 
and  terror.  With  utter  shame,  I  confess 
that  the  wrong  I  had  committed  sank  into 
290 


"YOUR  SINS  AS  SCARLET" 

insignificance  before  the  greater  misery  of 
losing  you,  of  knowing  that  you  were  to 
be  the  wife  of  another.  And  yet,  if  you 
were  free  now,  I  could  not  ask  you  again 
to  be  my  wife,  for  that  stain  is  still  upon 
my  soul.  It  can  never  be  washed  away." 

He  sank  upon  a  chair,  and  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands!  and  she  went  and 
knelt  beside  him,  looking  up  into  his  eyes, 
pityingly. 

"Morris,"  she  whispered,  "dear  Morris, 
do  you  not  remember  what  the  Good  Book 
says,  and  do  you  not  know  that  it  is  true? 
'Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall 
be  washed  as  white  as  wool.'  I  do  not 
know  what  you  mean — I  do  not  know  what 
it  is  that  you  have  done;  but,  whatever  it 
is,  God  will  forgive  you." 

In  the  midst  of  his  misery  >  strangely 
enough,  Lathrop  suddenly  remembered 
the  note  that  Millington  had  sent  to  'Rita. 
Now,  he  took  it  from  his  pocket,  and,  with- 
out raising  his  eyes,  gave  it  to  her.  Won- 
291 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

deringly,  she  opened  it  and  read,  and  then 
she  smiled  through  her  unshed  tears. 

"Look,  Morris!    Read!"  she  said. 

Mechanically,  he  took  the  note  from  her, 
and  scanned  the  words  his  friend  had  writ- 
ten: 

"My  dear  'Rita, 

"You  must  forgive  me  for  the  trick  I 
played  on  you.  Never  mind  now  why  I 
did  it.  Perhaps  you  will  be  able  to  guess 
when  you  read  this.  I  release  you  from 
your  promise.  I  really  don't  want  you  to 
marry  me.  In  about  half-an-hour  I  am 
going  to  ask  Edna  Trevor  to  be  my  wife. 
But  you  made  me  another  promise,  and 
that  I  must  hold  you  to.  You  agreed  to 
help  me  save  Morris.  There  is  only  one 
way  to  do  it:  Marry  him! 

"Jack  Millington." 

Lathrop  loosened  his  grasp  on  the  sheet 
of  paper,  and  it  fluttered  to  the  floor. 
Then,  he  opened  his  arms,  and  the  girl 
nestled  into  his  embrace. 

292 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  SPECIAL  PLEADER 

MORRIS  LATHROP  and  George 
Trevor  stood  facing  each  other  in 
the  library  of  the  financier's  mansion. 
The  former  had  just  entered  the  room  in 
obedience  to  a  summons  from  the  broker. 

"I  came  as  quickly  as  I  could,  pater," 
Lathrop  said,  assuming  a  lightness  of  tone 
to  disguise  his  anxiety. 

"Is  'Rita  with  you?"  Trevor  demanded. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply;  "she  is  in  the 
drawing-room,  with  Edna." 

"That  is  as  it  should  be,"  the  financier 
declared.  "I  am  determined  that  she  shall 
know  who  her  father  is,  and  without  delay. 
But  there  is  one  thing  that  must  be  ex- 
plained, first.  Do  you  remember  what 
you  said  in  the  carriage,  the  day  that  Carla 
293 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

was  hurt?  You  told  me  that  there  was  a 
chapter  in  my  history  which  I  myself  did 
not  know.  You  must  tell  me  what  you 
meant  by  that  remark." 

Thus  definitely  commanded,  Lathrop 
felt  himself  constrained  to  obey. 

"Before  my  father  died,"  he  said,  "he 
told  me  a  part  of  the  experience  which  you 
and  he  had  in  Cuba,  twenty-five  years  ago, 
and  he  left  me  a  mission  to  perform.  He 
knew  of  'Rita's  birth,  and  he  directed  me 
to  search  for  her,  and  to  find  her,  and  al- 
ways to  watch  over  her  as  if  she  were  my 
own  sister.  He  told  me  as  to  your  mar- 
riage to  her  mother,  your  separation  from 
her,  and  the  reasons  for  it.  He  added  that 
you  were  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  she  had 
borne  a  child.  I  went  to  Seville.  From 
there,  I  traced  your  child  to  Cuba,  and  to 
the  City  of  Mexico,  where  I  found  her. 
She  had  been  taken  and  cared  for  by  a 
distant  relative  of  her  mother — a  Senor 
Llorente." 

294 


THE  SPECIAL  PLEADER 

"Yes,  a  scoundrel  if  ever  there  was 
one!"  Trevor  commented.  "Go  on." 

"From  him,  I  learned  the  whole 
story— 

"His  version  of  it,"  the  financier  inter- 
rupted; "but  an  untrue  one,  surely.  He 
could  not  speak  truth." 

"He  gave  what  seemed  to  be  proofs  of 
the  correctness  of  his  tale,  and  there  was 
one  statement  which  I  thought  should  be 
kept  even  from  you.  This  was,  that  your 
first  wife  had  died  only  ten  years  before,  or 
fifteen  years  from  the  present  time — that 
is  to  say,  nearly  six  years  after  the  birth  of 
Carla!" 

The  old  man  raised  one  hand.  He  was 
smiling  and  unmoved. 

"It  is  not  true,"  he  said,  calmly.  "Car- 
lotta — that  was  her  name — died  in  my 
arms,  from  a  wound  inflicted  by  the  very 
weapon  that  affected  me  so,  the  evening 
when  we  called  upon  'Rita.  It  was 
thrown  through  the  open  window  by  the 
295 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

hand  of  an  unknown  assassin,  but,  as  I 
believe,  by  Llorente  himself,  who  loved 
her,  and  had  been  repulsed  by  her.  I 
think  the  weapon  was  aimed  at  me,  but  it 
struck  her.  She  died  instantly,  without 
a  word.  That  was  two  years,  nearly,  be- 
fore the  mother  of  Carla  and  Edna  be- 
came my  wife." 

Lathrop  was  deeply  moved. 

"If  you  only  knew  how  I  have  suf- 
fered," he  explained,  "fearing  that  you 
would  some  day  learn  this  thing  which  I 
was  led  to  believe,  fearing  that  Carla  and 
Edna  might  hear  of  it.  If  only  I  had  told 
you  five  years  ago,  pater." 

"You  already  know  the  reasons  for  my 
separation  from  'Rita's  mother,"  Trevor 
continued.  "You  understand  that  no 
blame  attached  to  her.  She  was  jealous; 
that  was  all — unjustly  so,  but  it  was  Llor- 
ente's  work.  She  left  me,  and  returned 
to  her  home  in  Spain.  I  followed  her 
there.  Our  interview  had  just  com- 
296 


THE  SPECIAL  PLEADER 

menced;  she  had  not  told  me  of  the  child, 
but  she  had  thrown  herself  into  my  em- 
brace, when  the  knife  flew  through  the  win- 
dow, and  ended  everything.  Now,  will 
you  send  my  eldest  daughter  to  me  ?  Will 
you  send  'Rita  here?  I  wish  to  tell  her 

V 

who  she  is." 

More  than  two  hours  elapsed  after  'Rita 
entered  her  father's  library  before  she  came 
out  again.  When  she  did,  there  was  a 
new-born  happiness  upon  her  face,  which 
transfigured  it.  During  the  last  half- 
hour  of  the  time,  Carla  and  Edna,  also, 
were  present,  and  they  all  came  out  to- 
gether. 

Lathrop  was  in  the  drawing-room  alone, 
when  Carla  entered  and  closed  the  door. 

"Morris,"  she  said,  "I  have  come  to  ask 
your  forgiveness.  Will  you  grant  it?  I 
think  I  shall  be  happy  again  if  you  will." 

"It  is  I  who  need  forgiveness,  Carla," 
he  replied. 

"No,  Morris,  it  is  I,"  the  girl  insisted, 
297 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

tremulously.  "Let  us  be  just  to  ourselves 
and  to  each  other.  I  am  very  happy  in 
the  possession  of  my  sister  'Rita — still 
happier  in  the  knowledge  that  she  is  to  be 
your  wife.  She  loves  you  much  more 
deeply  than  I  ever  did.  I  love  you  now, 
better  than  I  did  then.  Mine  was  not  real 
love,  Morris ;  it  was  gratified  pride.  And, 
when  I  forgot  myself  and  did  that  horrible 
thing,  it  was  my  pride  that  was  suffering, 
not  my  love.  I  have  never  really  loved. 
I  realize  that  when  I  look  at  'Rita.  You 
are  to  be  my  brother,  and  I  shall  love  you 
better  so  than  if  you  had  been  my  husband. 
Do  you  understand  me,  Morris?" 

"Yes,  Carla,  I  understand,"  Lathrop 
answered,  simply.     "God  bless  you,  dear." 

Old  Sam  Millington  was  sitting  alone  in 
a  room  in  his  residence  that  he  used  as  an 
office,  when  there  was  a  ring  at  the  door. 
Such  a  thing  was  almost  unprecedented, 
since  the  house  had  been  practically  closed 
298 


THE  SPECIAL  PLEADER 

for  a  year,  but  he  answered  the  summons, 
and  beheld,  standing  upon  the  steps,  the 
figure  of  a  young  woman. 

"I  am  Edna  Trevor,"  she  said.  "May 
I  come  in?" 

"Certainly,"  the  wondering  man  as- 
sented. "What  can  I  do  for  you,  Miss 
Edna?" 

"You  can  do  a  whole  lot  if  you  will,"  the 
girl  replied,  walking  briskly  into  his  den. 
"I  suppose  you  know  that  I  am  going  to 
marry  your  son?" 

"Well,  yes,"  he  answered,  smiling. 
"He  told  me  about  it,  this  morning.  I  am 
greatly  pleased,  and  I  told  him  so.  Jack 
is  a  good  boy — and  a  smart  one!  But  it 
will  be  some  time  before  he  will  be  well 
enough  to  get  married." 

"He's  well  enough  now,"  Edna  an- 
nounced, bluntly. 

Then,  while  the  capitalist  stared  in 
amazement,  she  went  on  rapidly,  and  told 
him  the  whole  story  from  beginning  to 
299 


THE  THREE  KEYS 

end,  omitting  nothing;  and  she  did  it  so 
quaintly  and  so  energetically  that,  before 
she  was  half-done,  the  first  wrath  had  gone 
from  his  face,  and  in  its  stead  was  an  ex- 
pression of  sardonic  enjoyment. 

"You  see,"  she  concluded,  "I  would  not 
be  married  under  false  pretenses.  And, 
then,  there  was  Morris,  dying  to  come  to 
you  and  let  out  the  whole  thing — only, 
Jack  wouldn't  let  him.  So,  I  just  made 
up  my  mind  that  I  would  do  it  myself.  I 
am  just  as  deep  in  the  mud  as  any  of  them, 
and  I  have  a  right  to  confess  if  I  wish  to. 
.  .  .  And  you  will  forgive  us  all,  won't 
you?" 

"Edna,"  said  the  old  man,  and  his  keen 
eyes  were  dimmed  a  little  as  he  looked  into 
the  clear,  pleading  eyes  of  the  girl,  "if  you 
will  put  your  arms  around  my  neck,  and 
kiss  me,  and  say  'Thank  you,  father/  I  will 
promise  to  forgive." 

"You  had  no  need  to  ask  me,"  Edna 
made  answer.  And  she  threw  her  arms 
300 


THE  SPECIAL  PLEADER 

around  his  neck,  and  gave  him  many  kisses, 
and  thanked  him  with  every  one. 

And  a  month  later,  when  the  double 
wedding  occurred,  the  most  spectacular 
feature* of  that  spectacular  event  was  the 
sight  of  those  aforetime  enemies,  George 
Trevor  and  Sam  Millington,  walking  hap- 
pily together  up  the  central  aisle  of  the 
church,  arm-in-arm. 


THE  END 


301 


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